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The Governance Gap

The Governance Gap

By: Cathedral Technology
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About this listen

Who has power in the brand-customer relationship and what happens when you redistribute it?


The Governance Gap is the podcast that asks the question no one in business is asking yet. Every episode, host Alex sits down with founders, CEOs, and brand
innovators across fashion, sport, food, tech, and the creator economy to explore what happens when brands stop talking at customers and start governing with them.

This isn't another customer experience podcast. This isn't a growth hacking show. The Governance Gap is the only podcast exploring the structural shift from
passive consumption to active customer governance where real people vote on real product decisions, co-create with the brands they love, and hold companies accountable through verified, transparent participation.

What you'll learn:

- How leading brands are turning customers into decision-making stakeholders

- The frameworks behind successful co-creation: the Engagement Spectrum, Trust Stack, and 4 Pillars of Co-Creation

- Why blockchain-verified voting is replacing surveys and focus groups
- Real case studies from DTC fashion, sports fan engagement, food innovation, and community-driven SaaS

- The economics of the prosumer economy and why it's reshaping ever vertical

Who this is for:

Brand founders, CEOs, heads of CX, community managers, product leaders, and anyone who believes customers deserve a real seat at the table, not just a suggestion box.

New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe wherever you listen.

Produced by vora — Voice of the New Era — the platform making customer governance and prosumer ecomomy real.
👉 https://voiceofthenewera.com

© 2026 Cathedral Technology
Episodes
  • From Instagram Polls to 2.4x Sales: The Aethelred Wovens Governance Playbook

    From Instagram Polls to 2.4x Sales: The Aethelred Wovens Governance Playbook
    Feb 19 2026

    What happens when a sustainable fashion brand stops asking for feedback and starts asking for decisions? In our debut episode, Alex sits down with Anya Sharma, the Founder and CEO of Aethelred Wovens, a direct-to-consumer brand built on natural dyes and radical transparency.

    Anya shares her journey from the frustrating dead-end of Instagram polls and surveys—what she calls 'governance theater'—to launching her first real customer vote. We get into the nitty-gritty of designing that crucial first vote, the fear of losing control, and the shocking results: a 37% engagement rate, 2.4x sales lift on co-created products, and a 23-point jump in 12-month retention for participating customers.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Why most brands are stuck in 'Level 2' of the Engagement Spectrum and how to break free.
    • The Four Pillars of Co-Creation (Access, Agency, Accountability, Attribution) that separate real governance from suggestion boxes.
    • How to translate engagement metrics into a business case your CFO will actually understand.
    • The practical steps to launching your first customer vote without derailing your product roadmap.

    If you’re tired of talking AT your customers and ready to start governing WITH them, this episode is your blueprint. Ready to build your own governance program? Discover the tools and frameworks at voiceofthenewera.com.
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    24 mins
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