C&C Pod - Jim Herbert, CEO of Patchworks

This episode Bill and I are joined by Jim Herbert, CEO of Patchworks to mix up a few too many Pisco Sours - complete with reverse dry shakes and a bit of history - and talk about the evolution of composability, integration, MACH architectures, and agentic commerce systems.

Patchworks is a solution provider competing in the dynamic, rapidly evolving integration platform-as-a-service market (aka: iPaaS). Patchworks describes its mission as one to make integrations effortless.

Prior to Patchworks, Jim was key leader at services firms Sceneric and Publicis Sapient, before he moved to the platform side with BigCommerce, working with some of the biggest names in eCommerce across the UK and Europe.

Bill and I have known Jim for some time and wanted to have him on the show to learn more about Patchworks and get his perspective on this dynamic market we all find ourselves in.

So, please pour yourself something to sip along and enjoy our conversation with Jim.

Cheers!

Episode Chapters:

* Welcome and the Pisco Sour: Reverse dry shakes, cocktail foam science, and the mixology rivalry between Chile and Peru. Who really invented the Pisco Sour?

* Hey Kai! Explaining Patchworks to an 9-year-old by talking about plumbing.

* From coder to CEO: The integration thread through Jim’s career.

* Patchworks and the case for “chief plumbing officer”.

* Composable commerce and the evolving role of MACH commerce architectures.

* APIs, AI, and why garbage-in still means garbage-out.

* MCP and A2P protocols: The new language of digital agents.

* Rethinking orchestration: Systems, data, and rhythm.

* AI as infrastructure: Agents sitting on top of APIs.

* What the enterprise commerce stack will look like in five years.

* B2B’s agentic revolution and the future of autonomous commerce.

* Click-to-manufacture and synthetic demand creation.

* AI coding tools, configuration chaos, and the black box problem.

* Zero-defect launches and testing in the agentic age.

* Cycling, skiing, and the Tour de France stage that nearly broke Jim.

* The perfect end-of-day drink: Champagne victories and smoky Manhattans

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This week’s cocktail: Pisco Sour

A timeless South American classic, the Pisco Sour blends bright citrus, silky texture, and a dash of cultural debate. This frothy South American cocktail was born of both necessity and invention, combining the local grape brandy, pisco, with lime juice, simple syrup, egg white, and a few strategic dashes of Angostura bitters.

But much like a perfectly balanced drink, its history is anything but straightforward. Peru claims the original creation in the early 20th century by American bartender Victor Morris at his eponymous Morris’ Bar in Lima - which he started after sticking around Peru following working on the railroads there. Meanwhile, Chile argues that their version of the cocktail - slightly different in execution and ingredients - reflects a deeper cultural heritage tied to their own long-standing pisco tradition.

Pisco itself is a clear brandy distilled from grapes, with roots that dig deep into the colonial era. Spanish settlers brought viniculture to South America in the 16th century, but thanks to a tax on imported spirits, locals turned to distillation and pisco was born. The spirit differs a bit between Peru and Chile, both in the types of grapes used and the method of production. Peruvian pisco is distilled only once and never aged in wood, retaining a brighter, purer grape essence, whereas Chilean pisco is often distilled multiple times and sometimes aged in barrels, yielding a richer, rounder flavor.

The real kicker? International bars, cocktail books, and even diplomatic campaigns have been dragged into the fray over the cocktail’s rightful birthplace. Both nations have designated the Pisco Sour as a national drink, and each has a public holiday in its honor - the first Saturday of February in Peru, and May 15th in Chile. Whatever side of the border your loyalty falls on, there’s no denying that this cocktail is a beautiful expression of place, culture, and the alchemical magic of shaking citrus, spirit, and egg white into each delightful, silky sip.

Pisco Sour Cocktail Spec

2 oz. / ~60 ml. - Pisco

1 oz. / ~ ml. - Fresh lime juice

½ oz. / ~ ml. - Simple syrup

1 - Egg white (~1 oz.)

Garnish: 3 dashes - Angostura Bitters (or other aromatic bitters)

Steps:

Add pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice) vigorously. Add ice and shake again until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. (Alternatively, you can strain it into a rocks glass over fresh ice.) Garnish with 3 to 5 drops of Angostura bitters. (If desired, use a straw, toothpick or similar implement, swirl the bitters into a simple design.)

Notes:

* The dry shake is a technique used to emulsify egg whites in cocktails - or agua faba for the vegans out there. First, combine all ingredients (including the egg white) in a shaker without ice and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds to aerate and build foam. Then add ice and shake again (the “wet shake”) to chill and dilute. This two-step process creates a smooth texture and a stable, frothy head.

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Be well, drink well, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

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