Jerry from the Blog

Financial performance 
Looking at the first quarter of 2026, we can be quite happy with our results. They are fairly well aligned with the projected budget, something that was completely different in 2025. Talk about a good start! 

Does that mean we’re already there for 2026? Unfortunately not: anyone who works with clients on a daily basis knows that it is still a difficult market and that budgets are still under pressure. So, let's all roll up our sleeves to deliver even better work, convince prospects, and sell amazing projects to our clients! 

AI-native agency 
The Campus Updates were also the kick-off for further transformation into an AI-native agency. You could already read about it in the previous blog, but now we have truly set off. We are working hard on all communication, so stay tuned!  

Client work 
Perhaps the most fun part of the Campus Updates: showcasing what we do for our clients.  

Quite a few projects came along, such as the rebranding of Fedustria, the 'Kom van dat gat af' campaign sites, Fednot (launched 900 (!) websites in 1 day!), how we pitched for and won Fost Plus, Port of Antwerp, Willems Biscuits, AGA, Beaulieu, Deltalight... and the — finally we can share it — super cool Biscoff Biscuit Factory. 

Another special mention for TRIXXO, which we are truly servicing as iO: this client needs our help when it comes to technology, automation, media and data, meaning we serve them via 3 campuses, as 1 iO! 

Save the date - BE teambuilding 
I saved the best for last: there will be a BE teambuilding on October 16th. More details will follow, but you can already mark the date in your calendar!

We're using this week's Campus Updates as the kick-off for our evolution towards an AI-native agency, the next step we're taking as iO. Like many companies, AI was initially something to experiment with, but over the past 18 months we've pushed through and built up knowledge that others are still only talking about. We have a head start today, and now it's up to us to keep that momentum going over the next 12 months. In that time, we'll transform iO into an AI-native agency where AI is no longer an added feature, but becomes the standard for every solution, service and workflow we offer. 

Why are we doing this? 

Both for ourselves and for our clients. Our clients will get better quality or more output for the same budget, achieve results faster, and grow their business, freeing up more budget to keep evolving. That's where we can make the difference: when clients see our advantage, we'll retain them more effectively and win new ones more easily. 

There are plenty of reasons for us too: it will reshape our business model, which today is purely hours-based, towards more recurring business and leading with value rather than deliverables alone. 

We're not transforming for the sake of it: this is a growth story. Our clients will allocate budgets differently, and we'll strengthen our position against competitors. Standing still is simply not in iO's DNA. 

How are we approaching this? We've defined a number of pillars to turn our vision into a concrete plan. Let me walk you through a few of them. 

Delivery model 

The biggest piece will be our new delivery model: we'll need to evolve towards a hybrid delivery model — hybrid between human and AI. For each of our domains, we'll identify which parts of our processes can be automated and evolve towards that new hybrid model. Once we've defined a component, we'll formalise that automation and begin knowledge sharing. This is arguably the biggest step of all, and it's clear it will be a continuous work in progress. That's why it's important to start now. 

Our toolbox 

Here we're on familiar ground: AI fundamentals, Bonzai, LLMs, Agents… and we're not done yet! Workflows are coming (making it easy to set up automations), hubs (enabling even more integrations), Cowork (giving you virtual colleagues), and Claws (agents that take initiative without waiting for our instructions). You ain't seen nothing yet! 

Our commercial approach 

As our delivery model changes, so does our business model — and that has an impact on our commercial approach. We'll evolve from "hours-based business with a percentage of AI on top" to pricing that's primarily built around the value we create for our clients through intensive AI use. 

Talent 

The agency that can maintain the lead isn't the one with just the best toolbox — it's the one with the most talented people. Our ambition is that by 2027, half of our iO teams are working in a hybrid model, extended with AI Agents. That also means everyone will shift from "maker" to "director," with every individual getting the opportunity to grow personally, as we'll need more mediors and seniors.  

That shift won't happen by itself, which is why we'll provide ample training, knowledge sharing and inspiration, and make it a part of everyone's career planning. 

If you're thinking right now: "Wow, that's quite complex" ... well, it is. That's exactly why we're using this week as a kick-off, and why you should see this as the start of a lot more (detailed) communication to come. At the same time, we're setting up a lean and mean governance structure to bring everyone along over the next 12 months. By breaking it down into manageable chunks, it all becomes a lot less daunting. 

But in any case: more to come! 

It’s the first week of May, a month that announces the arrival of summer, with three extra-long weekends. This also means: if you want to set something in motion that needs to be ready before or during the summer, now is the time.

At iO, we have such a thing. We are on our way to becoming an AI-native agency, but that transition won't happen by itself. We’ve been in the experimentation phase, like so many companies, but now we all set to take the next step. What that means? It’s not something I can simply summarise in an email or blog post, I’m afraid. But don’t worry: we will be communicating a lot about this evolution in the coming weeks.

Everyone — including our clients — will be in on the 'why' behind this shift, and we will all help each other deploy our AI tools more effectively. Behind the scenes, we are working very hard on our ‘AI for Business’ events in June. Just because we received the AI Pioneer award doesn't mean our work is done, quite the opposite. A second nomination has already come in, by the way ...

You will hear more details on the Campus Updates (did I mention you don’t want to miss it?) and via other channels. We have a head start on the rest, let's keep it that way!

For me personally, the “journey of discovery” within iO continues. I keep bumping into cool projects we are delivering for clients or impressive pitches we’re working on. My initial idea that there is much more potential in iO is reinforced yet again.

So, the key question is: how do we get everyone to collaborate even better? Often, that involves better internal communication, so we understand what we can do for each other and can make good agreements. One example: last week we organised a Clients & Commercial (read: everyone who comes into contact with clients) session to sharpen our commercial approach. By focusing so heavily on our T1/enterprise clients, we have lost some focus on our T2 and T3 clients, even though there is growth potential there as well. By (re)clarifying the roles, we will be able to put our attention and focus on that growth. This means that the Business Lines (under Frederik and Vincent) will work harder than ever to generate additional business. I will personally take a closer look at our business in the public sector so that we can also work proactively there. Details will follow in the Campus Updates, as you probably understood by now.

It’s these kinds of small changes that we will continue to make, to keep taking steps in the right direction.

Hey everyone,

After five weeks, I'm starting to get a feel for the inside of iO. But I'd also like to share something from the outside looking in. It's wonderful to see everyone's passion, but I think we can all be a little prouder of iO. I'm not one to jump on tables myself, but we really should be proud of what we're capable of. Without exaggerating: the outside world looks at iO with an enormous amount of respect.

And there's more: a lot of things that seem perfectly normal here simply don't exist at other companies. I’m not just talking about the beautiful campuses, the great food, the party budget… For me, it's also the 'getting things done' mindset and the sheer determination of everyone here.

A great illustration of the energy and team spirit I felt from the very first moment: this Sunday, 35 colleagues are taking part in the Antwerp 10 Miles. I'll definitely be cheering along the route, hopefully you will too? See you at the Zuidpark!

Does that mean I haven't heard a single complaint over the past few weeks, that it's all been roses and sunshine? Of course not. There's always room for improvement. But I can feel that everyone wants to move forward and is willing to do whatever it takes to make iO even better. So please, keep that feedback coming!

Thanks to the many enthusiastic conversations over the past weeks, it's becoming clear to me where we as an organisation need to focus, and where we can make an impact. One of those areas is communicating more frequently from a management level – and this newsletter is a first step in that direction.

Going forward, I'll be closing with a message, a thought, a brain dump… or simply something I want to share. Today, that's my appreciation for the warm welcome I've received at iO – thank you all!

JHML