In this episode of The EX Conversation, Kaz sits down with Will Saville, Co-Founder of Unily, to explore how intranets have evolved into employee experience platforms, and what that shift means in an AI-first world. The conversation goes beyond product history, unpacking the thinking behind better employee experiences and why internal communications teams need a fundamentally different set of tools today.
Will shares his journey from early web development and SharePoint projects to building a SaaS platform, and now helping shape AI-driven experiences. The discussion focuses on what’s changing right now: the expectations employees bring from consumer technology, the pressure on comms teams, and the opportunity to rethink how knowledge and content are created and delivered.
If you’re responsible for internal communications, digital workplace, or EX strategy, this episode will resonate. It tackles familiar challenges; limited time, too much content, and difficulty proving impact, and offers a practical perspective on where AI can genuinely help.
🎧 Enjoy the episode and thanks for listening.
00:00 – 03:20 | From chef to intranet pioneer
Will shares his unconventional path into software and how he first got involved in intranets.
03:20 – 05:01 | The limits of early intranet platforms
Why SharePoint-era intranets fell short on user experience and content management.
05:01 – 06:47 | Treating employees like customers
The mindset shift that shaped Unily’s approach to EX and internal communications.
06:47 – 08:40 | Culture as a foundation for success
Reflections on building company culture and why it can’t be manufactured.
08:40 – 11:55 | Innovation through problem-solving
How curiosity and a bias for action drive product innovation.
11:55 – 13:51 | Simplicity, inspiration, and product thinking
Lessons from Steve Jobs and the importance of focusing on the “why.”
13:51 – 16:26 | Key milestones in building a product company
The transition from consultancy to SaaS and the risks of replatforming.
16:26 – 19:29 | The origins of AI in the platform
How early experiments with GPT led to the vision for Unily Futures.
19:29 – 22:46 | Building AI with purpose, not hype
The research and technical understanding behind developing Indy.
22:46 – 24:42 | Why internal communicators matter most
The role of comms teams as the organizational “mouthpiece” and why they need better tools.
24:42 – 28:11 | Knowledge, trust, and AI accuracy
Challenges around grounding AI outputs and avoiding hallucination.
28:11 – 31:17 | From PDFs to ‘liquid content’
Why traditional formats fail and how multi-format content changes engagement.
31:17 – 34:07 | The future of AI-first EX platforms
What’s coming next with Futures and the shift to AI-native architecture.
34:07 – 36:49 | Building AI into the core product
The difference between AI-first design and adding AI as an afterthought.
36:49 – 38:32 | Career advice: expect the unexpected
Reflections on adapting to disruption, especially with AI.
38:32 – 40:33 | Inspiration and closing thoughts
A look at iconic campaigns and final reflections on culture and leadership.
About The EX Conversation
The EX Conversation is a podcast series from Unily that brings together employee experience, internal communications, and digital workplace leaders from across industries.
Each episode features an open, practical conversation with people on the frontlines of EX: sharing what’s working, what’s hard, and how they’re navigating complexity in real time. No hype. No scripts. Just honest perspectives and hard-won insight to help EX leaders learn from each other and move the workplace forward.