In this conversation, Allon Raiz traces his unconventional path from aspiring farmer to globally respected entrepreneurial ecosystem builder. He begins by describing his childhood in Johannesburg and Durban, his original dream of hot-house farming and his eventual pivot from agricultural studies into the family business making umbrellas and outdoor furniture. Although he was expected to take over that business, a series of personal choices led him to step away and start again on his own.

He recounts his early “baptism by fire” in a struggling, family-owned clothing store, where repeated failed ideas eventually gave way to a bold, disruptive promotion: an empty shop window filled with customers’ old shoes in exchange for vouchers. The stunt generated huge attention, thousands of donated shoes and press coverage that attracted a local millionaire who offered to back him. That backing led to the New York Sausage Factory, a fast-food hotdog concept that ultimately failed due to location and other missteps.

Allon describes the humility required to face his investor and admit failure, only to be told that the investor had backed him, not the business. Instead of more money, he was surrounded with a support team and given a second chance, which led to a successful second outlet and eventual exit. He then moved into vehicle security marketing, helped turn around a small ad agency in his spare time, and discovered that he had a repeatable talent for helping businesses transform.

Three months before his wedding, he walked away from equity and security to start what would become Raizcorp: a “paid-forward” model inspired by the support he once received. Seventeen years and ten thousand businesses later, Raizcorp supports more than 500 businesses at any time, along with education initiatives in schools.

In this short but high-impact talk, Allon Raiz challenges traditional thinking about differentiation and explains why virtually every industry today faces the risk of becoming commoditised. He opens by stating that no business — regardless of sector — is immune from disruption, and that relying on product features or legacy advantages is no longer a sustainable strategy. Instead, he argues that leaders must adopt entrepreneurial thinking to stand out in markets where every offering is starting to look the same.

Raiz explains that most industries now operate within a window of “three months to commoditisation,” meaning that once a new innovation appears, competitors can rapidly copy or replicate it. He points to automation, digitalisation and online purchasing habits as major forces accelerating this trend. Using the example of insurance being bought online, he illustrates how even highly “human” industries have been stripped down to automated transactions, forcing organisations to rethink the basis on which they compete.

However, Raiz emphasises that while digital tools and efficiency are essential, they cannot be the core differentiator. True differentiation, he argues, lies in the experience — not the product. He challenges the audience to ask: What is the lived experience of the client when they interact with us? It is this emotional and relational element, not the technical one, that creates loyalty, pricing power and long-term advantage.

Throughout the talk, Raiz encourages business leaders to adopt the same mindset entrepreneurs use: questioning assumptions, challenging norms, creating memorable interactions and intentionally disrupting customer expectations. Differentiation, he argues, is driven not by what you sell but by how you make people feel when engaging with your business.