“Relativity is focused on empowering our customers with a platform that’s not just a system of record, but a system of action” -Phil Saunders

Have you ever read something that made you stop in your tracks—in a Paul-on-the-road-to-Damascus sort of way? That’s exactly what happened to me when I encountered this quote from Phil Saunders delivered at Relativity Fest London: advocating not merely for systems of record but systems of action. As someone working on what the next generation of FOIA case processing should be, his comments resonated deeply with me, echoing the insights of some of my favorite thinkers and doers: Teddy Roosevelt, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos. Each of these figures understood implicitly the profound difference between passive awareness and deliberate execution.

When Teddy Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War, his leadership demonstrated more than courage; it embodied a bias toward decisive action. Roosevelt believed profoundly in what he termed “the strenuous life”: a life defined by purposeful action, commitment and impact. While he was a popular author, his philosophy was clear:

Genuine progress comes not from passive observation or meticulous record-keeping but from bold and often difficult action. Roosevelt’s clarity echoes directly through Phil Saunders’ strategic declaration: platforms must transcend mere record-keeping to facilitate meaningful action.

Fast forward to Steve Jobs, the visionary who fundamentally reshaped technology by prioritizing simplicity, immediacy, and intuitive action. Jobs didn’t merely envision technology as a repository of data but as a proactive partner in human creativity and productivity. When Jobs introduced the Macintosh, and later the iPhone, he was guided by the relentless pursuit of actionable simplicity. “Computers are like a bicycle for our minds,” Jobs famously remarked, implying that technology should actively propel us forward, amplifying human capability through immediate and intuitive actions, not existing to merely store songs, photos, or emails. Phil Saunders’ call to transition from systems of record to systems of action aligns strongly with Jobs’ imperative: technology should serve as an active catalyst, pushing users to accomplish more.

Finally, Jeff Bezos built an empire around the relentless prioritization of action and outcomes. Amazon isn’t simply a marketplace or a vast warehouse of products; it’s fundamentally a machine optimized for actionable insight, rapid execution, and continuous innovation. Bezos emphasized the distinction between reversible and irreversible decisions, urging his teams to act quickly whenever possible, rather than becoming paralyzed by over-analysis or excessive documentation. Amazon’s culture of “Day 1” thinking is intrinsically linked to this philosophy: operate continually as if in the agile, decisive, and action-oriented mindset of a startup. This aligns seamlessly with Saunders’ forward-thinking perspective: eDiscovery tech firms must ditch the passive file cabinet mindset and hardwire speed, clarity, and intuitive decision-making into the core of their tech, making what matters clear and actionable from the chaos of digital noise.

Bridging these historical lenses, Phil Saunders’ vision emerges as both timely and timeless. Relativity’s call for “systems of action” is more than a technological shift; it’s a cultural evolution, fundamentally reframing how organizations perceive and engage with data.

In the eDiscovery industry, this shift is particularly profound. The movement toward systems of action represents an acknowledgement that today’s increasingly complex legal landscapes demand more than reactive responses. At a minimum, they require clarity, rapid decision-making, and agile execution.

Looking ahead, the challenge—and opportunity—for all of us in tech, law, and government is to build platforms and processes that don’t just store and track but anticipate and empower. The real test isn’t in how many bits and bytes we’ve accumulated, but in what we do with those Exabytes. Systems of action demand that we step out of the comfort of collection and into the arena of execution. This is what the “2025 Client/Constituent” both deserves and needs from those of us in this space.

To be sure, this viewpoint is not about discarding the value of accurate records or thorough analysis, far from it. I think Relativity is pairing that foundation with the wisdom of Roosevelt’s courage, Jobs’ clarity, and Bezos’ urgency. Because the future of meaningful work isn’t passive, it’s actionable. Phil’s called on us all to step up and build that future we want to both live and work in.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the authors and speakers themselves, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.