Systems thinking for behavioral change

In 2003, long before gamification became a standard technology buzzword, Kenneth created single-step motivational software built around motivation, progress, streaks, points, visual feedback, and personal accountability.

The fundamental question was simple: how do people motivate themselves to do the thing they already know matters? The software provided a framework for action, receiving coverage in publications like Self Magazine, and laying the groundwork for a career focused on the mechanics of progress.

The scope continued to expand. Moving beyond the product itself, the focus shifted to the people building it. Across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Kenneth led cross-functional teams spanning dozens of nationalities.

Building products is difficult, but getting a team to align, coordinate, and execute in the face of deep uncertainty is harder. The work became about designing the organizational environment where high contribution was the default behavior.

That understanding of individual behavior naturally scaled to product design. At Ultragenyx, Kenneth led the product design and built the team for a sophisticated product system that succeeded after three previous vendors had failed.

The challenge was no longer just motivating an individual user, but architecting a system that could handle complexity, scale, and stalled momentum, turning a struggling ambition into a working, reliable platform.

Today, Kenneth advises organizations navigating AI implementation, digital transformation, and systemic change. When these efforts stall, it is rarely due to a lack of technology. It is almost always a failure of behavioral systems—people hesitating, protecting themselves, or misaligning due to mismanaged incentives.

Transformation work requires someone who can walk into ambiguity, identify the behavioral blockers, and create a structured path forward.

All of these experiences—from early behavior change software to global product leadership—have been distilled into Stone Soup Strategy.

The book serves as the underlying framework for all of Kenneth's current advisory work, providing leaders with a practical, game-theory-driven model for making difficult change understandable and executable.