ReportWire

Tag: Tech Leaders

  • Nvidia Deal With Groq Called ‘Strategic’ Amid Rise Of Custom AI Chips

    [ad_1]

    Nvidia’s (NVDA) technology licensing deal with Groq and hiring of the AI start-up’s key personnel is a strategic move as the focus of artificial intelligence moves from training to inference, Wall Street analysts say. Nvidia stock rose on Friday. Groq announced late Wednesday that it had entered into a nonexclusive inference technology licensing agreement with Nvidia. As part of the…

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • I Had the Right Answer in a Room Full of Decision-Makers — But No One Backed Me Until I Did This | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Here’s a moment every technical leader knows too well: you’re in a room full of executives, creatives, agents or business leaders — and you’re the only one who speaks “tech.” Maybe you’re a new CTO. Maybe you’re just the most technical person in the room. You have ideas that could solve real problems. But no one gets what you’re saying.

    I’ve been there more times than I can count — at UTA, the Clippers and now as co-founder of SkaFld Studio. And here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

    It doesn’t matter if you’re right if no one understands you.

    Your job isn’t just to solve complex problems. It’s to help others see how those solutions fit their world. Harvard Business Review backs this up: the best leaders use clear, resonant language to make complexity approachable. That requires more than just communication skills — it requires empathy, strategy, and what I call the Translator Mindset.

    The instinct is to lead with jargon, credentials or cleverness. But that only creates distance. The Translator Mindset is about meeting people where they are, then guiding them somewhere new. Clarity matters more than ego. Connection matters more than correctness.

    Related: How to Build and Sustain Deep, Meaningful Business Relationships (and Why It’s the Key to Long-Lasting Success)

    What the Clippers taught me about influence

    One of my most valuable lessons came during my time with the LA Clippers, at a moment when the entire league was embracing analytics. We had the data. It felt like we had the answers. But I was walking among legends — Jerry West, Doc Rivers — and when they have an opinion, you listen.

    During a tense draft season, the analytics team wanted to cast a wide net, calling dozens of prospects to increase our odds. But the old guard insisted we focus only on the top few. And more importantly, they wanted those calls to come from someone with real influence — one of our big names.

    They were right. Every player who got a call from one of our top voices came on board.

    The data team wasn’t wrong. But they were missing the bigger picture: it wasn’t about efficiency — it was about influence. That moment showed me how instinct and data don’t need to compete. But someone has to bridge the gap.

    Why tech initiatives really fail

    Most tech ideas don’t fall apart because they’re flawed — they fail because they’re misunderstood.

    I’ve watched engineers try to bury doubt with detail. But doubt isn’t rational. It’s emotional. Disruption often feels like displacement. Confusion can trigger fear. And fear doesn’t get solved by specs.

    Empathy is a strategy. Before I pitch anything technical, I ask myself:

    • What does this audience actually care about?
    • Where might they feel threatened?
    • How do I make them feel like co-owners of the solution?

    In the early days of my career, I used jargon as a defense mechanism. It made me feel competent. But it didn’t build trust. I had to unlearn that habit and retrain myself to reframe, simplify and connect. Once I did, everything changed — not just for me, but for the people around me. I went from being a translator to being the person who helped everyone in the room align.

    3 tools to help you communicate tech better

    Whether you’re the only technologist in the room or just the one willing to speak up, your job is to create clarity, credibility, and connection. These tools will help:

    1. Reframe, don’t repeat
    When someone pushes back, don’t double down on detail. Reframe their concern in their own language. Make them feel heard — and then offer a clearer path forward.

    2. Start with outcomes
    Never open with the tech stack. Open with the result. Instead of “We’re using containerized microservices,” say “We’re cutting load times by 70% so fans don’t drop off before tipoff.”

    3. Speak their language
    Metaphors work. To a producer, AI is a script assistant. To a VC, it’s a high-frequency analyst. Familiar language lowers resistance and builds buy-in.

    Related: 14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

    You’re the bridge

    You’re not in the room to explain code. You’re there to turn potential into progress — to connect software with story, abstraction with action and fear with adoption.

    That’s leadership. Done well, it builds momentum, earns trust, and drives real change.

    And it starts not with speaking louder — but with being understood.

    Here’s a moment every technical leader knows too well: you’re in a room full of executives, creatives, agents or business leaders — and you’re the only one who speaks “tech.” Maybe you’re a new CTO. Maybe you’re just the most technical person in the room. You have ideas that could solve real problems. But no one gets what you’re saying.

    I’ve been there more times than I can count — at UTA, the Clippers and now as co-founder of SkaFld Studio. And here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

    It doesn’t matter if you’re right if no one understands you.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    [ad_2]

    Charles Sims

    Source link

  • AI Has The Potential to Destroy Humanity in 5 to 10 Years. Here’s What We Know. | Entrepreneur

    AI Has The Potential to Destroy Humanity in 5 to 10 Years. Here’s What We Know. | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    At a CEO summit in the hallowed halls of Yale University, 42% of the CEOs indicated that artificial intelligence (AI) could spell the end of humanity within the next decade. These aren’t the leaders of small business: this is 119 CEOs from a cross-section of top companies, including Walmart CEO Doug McMillion, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincy, the leaders of IT companies like Xerox and Zoom as well as CEOs from pharmaceutical, media and manufacturing.

    This isn’t a plot from a dystopian novel or a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a stark warning from the titans of industry who are shaping our future.

    The AI extinction risk: A laughing matter?

    It’s easy to dismiss these concerns as the stuff of science fiction. After all, AI is just a tool, right? It’s like a hammer. It can build a house or it can smash a window. It all depends on who’s wielding it. But what if the hammer starts swinging itself?

    The findings come just weeks after dozens of AI industry leaders, academics, and even some celebrities signed a statement warning of an “extinction” risk from AI. That statement, signed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of AI,” and top executives from Google and Microsoft, called for society to take steps to guard against the dangers of AI.

    “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement said. This isn’t a call to arms. It’s a call to awareness. It’s a call to responsibility.

    It’s time to take AI risk seriously

    The AI revolution is here, and it’s transforming everything from how we shop to how we work. But as we embrace the convenience and efficiency that AI brings, we must also grapple with its potential dangers. We must ask ourselves: Are we ready for a world where AI has the potential to outthink, outperform, and outlast us?

    Business leaders have a responsibility to not only drive profits but also safeguard the future. The risk of AI extinction isn’t just a tech issue. It’s a business issue. It’s a human issue. And it’s an issue that requires our immediate attention.

    The CEOs who participated in the Yale survey are not alarmists. They are realists. They understand that AI, like any powerful tool, can be both a boon and a bane. And they are calling for a balanced approach to AI — one that embraces its potential while mitigating its risks.

    Related: Read This Terrifying One-Sentence Statement About AI’s Threat to Humanity Issued by Global Tech Leaders

    The tipping point: AI’s existential threat

    The existential threat of AI isn’t a distant possibility. It’s a present reality. Every day, AI is becoming more sophisticated, more powerful and more autonomous. It’s not just about robots taking our jobs. It’s about AI systems making decisions that could have far-reaching implications for our society, our economy and our planet.

    Consider the potential of autonomous weapons, for example. These are AI systems designed to kill without human intervention. What happens if they fall into the wrong hands? Or what about AI systems that control our critical infrastructure? A single malfunction or cyberattack could have catastrophic consequences.

    AI represents a paradox. On one hand, it promises unprecedented progress. It could revolutionize healthcare, education, transportation and countless other sectors. It could solve some of our most pressing problems, from climate change to poverty.

    On the other hand, AI poses a peril like no other. It could lead to mass unemployment, social unrest and even global conflict. And in the worst-case scenario, it could lead to human extinction.

    This is the paradox we must confront. We must harness the power of AI while avoiding its pitfalls. We must ensure that AI serves us, not the other way around.

    The AI alignment problem: Bridging the gap between machine and human values

    The AI alignment problem, the challenge of ensuring AI systems behave in ways that align with human values, is not just a philosophical conundrum. It’s a potential existential threat. If not addressed properly, it could set us on a path toward self-destruction.

    Consider an AI system designed to optimize a certain goal, such as maximizing the production of a particular resource. If this AI is not perfectly aligned with human values, it might pursue its goal at all costs, disregarding any potential negative impacts on humanity. For instance, it might over-exploit resources, leading to environmental devastation, or it might decide that humans themselves are obstacles to its goal and act against us.

    This is known as the “instrumental convergence” thesis. Essentially, it suggests that most AI systems, unless explicitly programmed otherwise, will converge on similar strategies to achieve their goals, such as self-preservation, resource acquisition and resistance to being shut down. If an AI becomes superintelligent, these strategies could pose a serious threat to humanity.

    The alignment problem becomes even more concerning when we consider the possibility of an “intelligence explosion” — a scenario in which an AI becomes capable of recursive self-improvement, rapidly surpassing human intelligence. In this case, even a small misalignment between the AI’s values and ours could have catastrophic consequences. If we lose control of such an AI, it could result in human extinction.

    Furthermore, the alignment problem is complicated by the diversity and dynamism of human values. Values vary greatly among different individuals, cultures and societies, and they can change over time. Programming an AI to respect these diverse and evolving values is a monumental challenge.

    Addressing the AI alignment problem is therefore crucial for our survival. It requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining insights from computer science, ethics, psychology, sociology, and other fields. It also requires the involvement of diverse stakeholders, including AI developers, policymakers, ethicists and the public.

    As we stand on the brink of the AI revolution, the alignment problem presents us with a stark choice. If we get it right, AI could usher in a new era of prosperity and progress. If we get it wrong, it could lead to our downfall. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Let’s make sure we choose wisely.

    Related: As Machines Take Over — What Will It Mean to Be Human? Here’s What We Know.

    The way forward: Responsible AI

    So, what’s the way forward? How do we navigate this brave new world of AI?

    First, we need to foster a culture of responsible AI. This means developing AI in a way that respects our values, our laws, and our safety. It means ensuring that AI systems are transparent, accountable and fair.

    Second, we need to invest in AI safety research. We need to understand the risks of AI and how to mitigate them. We need to develop techniques for controlling AI and for aligning it with our interests.

    Third, we need to engage in a global dialogue on AI. We need to involve all stakeholders — governments, businesses, civil society and the public — in the decision-making process. We need to build a global consensus on the rules and norms for AI.

    The choice is ours

    In the end, the question isn’t whether AI will destroy humanity. The question is: Will we let it?

    The time to act is now. Let’s take the risk of AI extinction seriously — as do nearly half of the top business leaders. Because the future of our businesses — and our very existence — may depend on it. We have the power to shape the future of AI. We have the power to turn the tide. But we must act with wisdom, with courage, and with urgency. Because the stakes couldn’t be higher. The AI revolution is upon us. The choice is ours. Let’s make the right one.

    [ad_2]

    Gleb Tsipursky

    Source link

  • Elon Musk and Other Leaders Are Worried About AI. Here’s Why | Entrepreneur

    Elon Musk and Other Leaders Are Worried About AI. Here’s Why | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    “The age of AI has begun,” Bill Gates declared this March, reflecting on an OpenAI demonstration of feats such as acing an AP Bio exam and giving a thoughtful, touching answer to being asked what it would do if it were the father of a sick child.

    At the same time, tech giants like Microsoft and Google have been locked in a race to develop AI tech, integrate it into their existing ecosystems and dominate the market. In February, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella challenged Sundar Pichai of Google to “come out and dance” in the AI battlefield.

    For businesses, it’s a challenge to keep up. On the one hand, AI promises to streamline workflows, automate tedious tasks and increased overall productivity. Conversely, the AI sphere is fast-paced, with new tools constantly appearing. Where should they place their bets to stay ahead of the curve?

    And now, many tech experts are backpedaling. Leaders like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Tesla’s Elon Musk, alongside 1,300 other industry experts, professors and AI luminaries, all signed an open letter calling to halt AI development for six months.

    At the same time, the “godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton, resigned as one of Google’s lead AI researchers and wrote a New York Times op-ed warning of the technology he’d helped create.

    Even ChatGPT’s Sam Altman joined in the chorus of warning voices during a Congress hearing.

    But what are these warnings about? Why do tech experts say that AI could actually pose a threat to businesses — and even humanity?

    Here is a closer look at their warnings.

    Uncertain liability

    To begin with, there is a very business-focused concern. Liability.

    While AIs have developed amazing capabilities, they are far from faultless. ChatGPT, for instance, famously invented scientific references in a paper it helped write.

    Consequently, the question of liability arises. If a business uses AI to complete a task and gives a client erroneous information, who is liable for damages? The business? The AI provider?

    None of that is clear right now. And traditional business insurance fails to cover AI-related liabilities.

    Regulators and insurers are struggling to catch up. Only recently, the EU drafted a framework to regulate AI liability.

    Related: Rein in the AI Revolution Through the Power of Legal Liability

    Large-scale data theft

    Another concern is linked to unauthorized data use and cybersecurity threats. AI systems frequently store and handle large amounts of sensitive information, much of it collected in legal gray areas.

    This could make them attractive targets for cyberattacks.

    “In the absence of robust privacy regulations (US) or adequate, timely enforcement of existing laws (EU), businesses have a tendency to collect as much data as they possibly can,” explained Merve Hickok, Chair & Research Director at Center for AI and Digital Policy, in an interview with The Cyber Express.

    “AI systems tend to connect previously disparate datasets,” Hickok continued. “This means that data breaches can result in exposure of more granular data and can create even more serious harm.”

    Misinformation

    Next up, bad actors are turning to AI to generate misinformation. Not only can this have serious ramifications for political figures, especially with an election year looming. It can also cause direct damage to businesses.

    Whether targeted or accidental, misinformation is already rampant online. AI will likely drive up the volume and make it harder to spot.

    AI-generated photos of business leaders, audio mimicking a politician’s voice and artificial news anchors announcing convincing economic news. Business decisions triggered by such fake information could have disastrous consequences.

    Related: Pope Francis Didn’t Really Wear A White Puffer Coat. But It Won’t Be the Last Time You’re Fooled By an AI-Generated Image.

    Demotivated and less creative team members

    Entrepreneurs are also debating how AI will affect the psyche of individual members of the workforce.

    “Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us?” the open letter asks.

    According to Matt Cronin, the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security & Cybercrime Coordinator, the answer is a clear “No.” Such a large-scale replacement would devastate the motivation and creativity of people in the workforce.

    “Mastering a domain and deeply understanding a topic takes significant time and effort,” he writes in The Hill. “For the first time in history, an entire generation can skip this process and still progress in school and work. However, reliance on generative AI comes with a hidden price. You are not truly learning — at least not in a way that meaningfully benefits you.”

    Ultimately, widespread AI use may lower team members’ competence, including critical thinking skills.

    Related: AI Can Replace (Some) Jobs — But It Can’t Replace Human Connection. Here’s Why.

    Economic and political instability

    What economic shifts widespread AI adoption will cause are unknown, but they will likely be large and fast. After all, a recent Goldman Sachs estimate projected that two-thirds of current occupations could be partially or fully automated, with opaque ramifications for individual businesses.

    According to experts’ more pessimistic outlooks, AI could also incite political instability. This could range from election tampering to truly apocalyptic scenarios.

    In an op-ed in Time Magazine, decision theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky called for a general halt to AI development. He and others argue that we are unprepared for powerful AIs and that unfettered development could lead to catastrophe.

    Conclusion

    AI tools hold immense potential to increase businesses’ productivity and level up their success.

    However, it’s crucial to be aware of the danger that AI systems pose, not just according to doomsayers and techno-skeptics, but according to the very same people who developed these technologies.

    That awareness will help infuse businesses’ AI approach with a caution critical to successful adaptation.

    [ad_2]

    Hasan Saleem

    Source link

  • How to Deal With Pushback on Technology Initiatives

    How to Deal With Pushback on Technology Initiatives

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Change in all aspects of life is as inevitable as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west — nothing stays the same. Although technology uptake has increased over the last few years, management and tech companies still have their work cut out for them. Championing changes is no walk in the park, and the same goes for leadership. So, here are a few ways tech leaders can deal with pushback on diverse technological initiatives, as well as a few signs to help leaders identify pushback on these initiatives:

    1. Create strong foundational data

    When making changes, most company executives are looking for foundational data. This kind of data shows what tech is, what it does, how it does it, and most importantly, what the favorable results are. Foundational data should be well formatted and easy to interpret.

    Related: Change Is Good. Now, How to Get Employees to Buy In

    2. Lean on your soft skills

    IT leaders may rely on something other than their soft skills to get the job done, but these skills are vital in establishing productive discourse. A conversation ensures all parties feel heard and decisions are not one-sided. Effective communication and attentive listening can make technology initiatives succeed.

    3. Cut out the long speeches; for the most part

    The thing about speeches is that they could be more interactive. This one-way flow of information can backfire as the audience may feel alienated from a process they are expected to partake in. The best way to combat this is by making the entire process as interactive as possible. Let every stakeholder interact with the new technology at their own pace. You will likely get unanimous cooperation from multiple echelons if each can realize the benefits firsthand.

    4. Impromptu problem-solving

    Patience and fortitude are not virtues associated with most mega-companies and industries. What people want are systems that work with minimal effort and accurate results. Any tech initiatives that have a hard time taking off are less likely to get adapted into regular use. The pushback will likely be at its worst when something fails during implementation, so fast response time is crucial to implementing tech initiatives.

    5. Actively campaign against false assumptions

    Your staff may face unfounded rumors and assumptions about tech changes that can destabilize the initiative. Some obvious fears your employees may face include:

    During such times, it is essential to discredit each individual’s worries using proven facts and recorded data. Ensure employees don’t think the employer’s new tech initiative is directly against their collective well-being.

    It’s not always about the money, so proving to stakeholders that the technology initiative can produce more profits is only sometimes the right move. Some might consider an attempt to buy in proof that the product will face opposition from employees at different levels.

    Related: How to Become a Successful Change Leader

    Identifying pushback against technology initiatives

    One of the most damning mistakes people in a crisis make is not realizing they are in one. The fastest way to break up technological dissent in any setting is by realizing it is happening. Here are a few ways you can identify pushback in any backdrop:

    Denial:

    Most people’s first reaction to sudden and unexpected change is denial. Employees and stakeholders may declare new technology redundant and argue for the logic that “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” It is up to the tech companies and top company management to prove to the employees that the new system is beneficial in multiple aspects.

    One way to combat denial is to clearly illustrate the benefits of tech initiatives by displaying them in a common language for everyone to comprehend. Feedback channels are critical during this stage because they give you an action plan for implementation. For example, creating company groups online allows employees to ask questions and receive information in real time.

    Disengagement:

    Denial and disengagement often go hand in hand. In this phase, employees will quickly adopt a nonchalant approach toward any changes in the company. This behavior is more prevalent when technology initiatives are shoved down everyone’s throat. This approach can make getting anything done in the workplace challenging and tedious. The perfect way to tackle disengagement is by incentivizing goals like giving bonuses, rewards and allowances for employees that excel at adopting new technology.

    Derailment:

    This is the “what, you think we don’t have other/real problems?” approach usually adopted by people in an organization who feel disadvantaged by the new changes. These groups often exaggerate the importance of more straightforward tasks to invalidate changes. The best way to combat this symptom of technological decent is by ensuring that no duties will be neglected through proper scheduling and resource allocation. One way to schedule effectively is by making the schedule visible and easy to interpret, like by placing it on a notice board or sending it to individual employees’ work emails.

    Related: How to Manage Resistance to Change Within an Agile Organization

    A lack of motivation:

    You may notice that employees are less willing to go about their tasks, especially if they use new technology. This is often the case if the tech is not fully functional or needs to be equipped to handle the current capacity smoothly. Employees may also act unmotivated if the new technology brings extra work and the company is unwilling to compensate.

    One such trend is the quiet quitting trend, which is motivated by a similar trend in numerous industries. Demotivation may seem harmless at first but may end up hitting the company with a reality many companies have realized too late. Having employees willing to go the extra mile gives a company a competitive edge, and the opposite could lead to a company’s rapid decline. The best way to deal with demotivated staff members is to incentivize tasks. Creating a competitive workplace culture can also help if the winner gets a coveted prize.

    Do not expect all employees to join the bandwagon with a smile. The most important thing when implementing technology initiatives is to keep communication channels open. The flow of information vertically and horizontally across different organizational levels can create a better working environment and smoother tech integration. Implementing technology initiatives can avoid opposition, especially if you build trust and ensure open feedback channels.

    [ad_2]

    Steve Taplin

    Source link

  • 5 Predictions for 2023 Following the Downward Spiral in Tech

    5 Predictions for 2023 Following the Downward Spiral in Tech

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    At the beginning of the quarter, one share of Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, was traded at $378. Less than two months in, the technological juggernaut collapsed to under $89 a share — reaching the trading levels of 2015.

    But Meta is not alone. The Nasdaq 100 took a 38% hit from its peak.

    Layoffs have followed suit across the titans of technology — with tens of thousands of employees losing jobs across Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter alone.

    Heading into 2023, the future is tumultuous. What geoeconomic changes are about to resurface in the new year?

    Related: VCs Are Missing Out on New, Innovative Ideas. Here’s Why (and What They Can Do About It).

    1. Reassessment of the “Hockey Stick.”

    A favorite trend of venture capital funds and investors is the promise of the “hockey stick” growth curve. This translates to a predictable and scalable influx of new users (or revenue) subject to doubling down on sales or paid acquisition channels.

    The premise is straightforward — market penetration or even domination. Obtaining unicorn status and acquiring users at all costs. The model works in theory, but in the land of funding, this usually comes at the expense of piles of debt and no profit whatsoever.

    It’s easy to scale a business with a freemium model that gets funded by investors. But infrastructure, staff, warehouses and vendors are entitled to their own funding. And unless this model converts at the same pace as a standard business cost plus a profit margin, companies will face severe consequences.

    Prioritizing profitability again will become a reality check of 2023.

    Related: How to Maintain Profitability in a Changing Market

    2. More layoffs

    Over 910 tech companies laid off over 143,000 employees in 2022 alone. The tracker relies on public data that doesn’t account for medium and large businesses outside the public purview (whereas the numbers are likely to exceed 200,000 or even 250,000 at the time).

    Financial scrutiny, combined with unfavored financing tools thanks to the aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, is limiting access to funding to combat the effects of hyperinflation.

    With unlimited resources, it’s easy to get sidetracked and keep pouring more people, money and servers into a problem. This anecdotally conflicts with Brooks’s law (a known adagio in project and product management), where adding workforce to a software project that’s running late is dragging it even further.

    While unemployment rates are still normalized, the pressure on high-tech and communications will disrupt the current numbers over the first two quarters of 2023.

    Related: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Announces ‘Most Difficult Decision’ in More Bad News for the Tech Giant Next Year

    3. Salary normalization in IT

    TCI Fund Management, an Alphabet (Google’s parent company) stakeholder, issued an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai. Billionaire Christopher Hohn called out Google’s overhiring practices and its passive actions compared to other industry leaders.

    Moreover, the letter pointed at the disparity of salaries in high tech and even among Google compared to other competitive companies where “median compensation totaled $295,884 in 2021”. Hohn’s further analysis quantified the comp offer as “67% higher than at Microsoft and 153% higher than the 20 largest listed technology companies in the US.”

    Competitive salaries are a key instrument for leading brands to acquire top talent. However, scrutinizing the future of existing business models — such as the downside of advertising businesses in social companies or tens of billions invested in the metaverse by Meta requires careful consideration and getting back to operational efficiency first and foremost.

    Related: Are We Headed for a Recession? It’s Complicated.

    4. Pushback on remote work

    Remote work has been a conflicting topic at best. In 2010, I was openly advocating for the adoption of remote work, quoting Cisco’s 2009 study of cost savings and employee satisfaction and success stories by companies like Automattic or Basecamp.

    As the 2020 pandemic made it possible for office jobs, it was a blessing to tens of millions of workers. However, several conflicts arose:

    • Public records on social media and interviews with employees taking endless lunch breaks, leaving their computers on, or casually responding to emails while playing video games or at the gym
    • Managers trying to combat the lack of remote principles with endless waves of Zoom and Teams meetings, taking over 20 hours a week for senior leaders and experts
    • The goal of becoming “over employed” while being shielded from office peers or monitoring gathered over 120,000 disciples on Reddit alone
    • Workers moving across the country or even internationally – causing actual employment violations in adhering to insurance or health policies in most countries, lacking working permits, and masking their locations

    During the boom of 2021, corporations negating remote work opportunities were dismissed or even publicly banished. With a recession coming in, this talent pool is the first one to crack for many business leaders.

    Related: Why 2022 Is All About Asynchronous Communication

    5. Limited innovation

    The reality check and the renowned focus on profitability come at the hidden cost of innovation. A key reason why most technology leaders are taking a hit is a dip in revenue.

    Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube rely heavily on ads to support their freemium networks. Other businesses are also pressured to cut costs due to limited business opportunities and expectations of salary raises. For many, sales and marketing (especially advertising) expenses are the first lines of cuts.

    Microsoft’s computer sales plummeted, and Amazon’s shipped revenue is declining as hyperinflation raises costs while employees’ net worth stays flat.

    The international energy crisis is fueling inflation further, making the problem worse.

    As tech companies get pressured, and layoffs occur, this often starts with sectors that lose money. Innovation and R&D — think of autonomous vehicles, the Metaverse, new cryptocurrencies or digital wallets, or blockchain adoption for networks that currently operate on a client-server model — slow down or get frozen for the time being.

    As spare money is no longer available, this hits consumers and other tangible markets — from the broader crypto world (with several large exchanges filing for bankruptcy) to a massive dip in selling NFTs or any unproven asset classes only made popular due to stable income and influx of capital during the past few years.

    Everyone is affected

    The most important takeaway here is that everyone is affected by the recent crash in tech.

    The Great Recession of 2008 started with real estate and banking, but this carried over consumers losing their households due to interest hikes, construction companies going out of business, unemployment rates going from 5 to 10%, and negative GDP affecting retail, restaurants, travel, logistics, manufacturing. The house of cards trickles down to dependent people and businesses.

    Even if your business appears to be doing well at the time, buckle up and keep an eye on the latest industry news. Recessions come and go – and making the most out of the coming year would set you up for success forward.

    [ad_2]

    Mario Peshev

    Source link

  • What It Takes to Be a Leading Tech CEO in 2023

    What It Takes to Be a Leading Tech CEO in 2023

    [ad_1]

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Do you know what it takes to be a top tech CEO? In short, top tech leaders need a clear vision, a sharp focus on execution and consistency amid business pressures and challenges. A tech leader also bridges the gap between business and engineering, guiding the team to achieve a shared goal. Below are a few other abilities one needs to be considered a leading technology executive today:

    Ability to solve complex engineering problems

    Apart from managing people, DevOps tech leaders solve challenging engineering problems while seeing the bigger picture. They also deeply understand how their decisions impact the team’s success, and ultimately, the IT business.

    Apple’s Tim Cook, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Adobe’s Shantanu Narayan,and Google’s Sundar Pichai are great examples of the world’s most influential and respectable CEOs. And they have a few things in common; they are effective listeners, savvy data analysts, and have a strong instinct that makes them successful business people.

    Related: 6 Success Secrets From the Most Influential Tech CEOs

    Use of robots to reduce the labor strains

    Top CEOs are passionate about seeking new methods to reduce their workload efficiently, while at the same time, trying as much as possible to improve how well they meet and satisfy the demand for their products and services. While labor shortages are the highlight of the economy during the pandemic, robots are quickly filling this gap with better outcomes, too.

    First, they do more jobs with more speed and efficiency. Secondly, they are diverse and are usable in multiple industries, including manufacturing, agriculture and construction. Business leaders who are labor-constrained should consider employing robots in their activities to boost productivity and enhance their daily operations.

    A natural curiosity and willingness to learn

    Top leaders are naturally curious and eager to learn to expand their mindset. Tech leaders should always embrace continuous learning to understand the fast-changing nature of the industry to adapt quickly, grow their skills and effectively manage their teams. Top tech leaders also mentor junior engineers to help them advance in their careers and be more responsive to market demands.

    Offering customized purchase insurance

    Businesses that sell products or services online, including flights, rental real estate or books, offer purchase insurance at checkout. And such online insurance could expand to new industries like shipping, car sales, construction and financial services.

    New insurance carriers could emerge soon to offer industry-specific insurance coverage. Tech leaders should explore the benefits of partnering with such carriers, or better still, create their own.

    Tech leaders lead by example

    Successful leaders inspire their tech teams by leading from the front. Giving their recommendations to their IT teams is essential, but it’s even more effective to practice what they believe in, even if it means they have to dive deep into the code.

    Inspirational CIOs also collaborate actively, encouraging teamwork and enforcing the belief that no problem is unsolvable. Working beside your team goes a long way in showing your resolve to achieve a common goal.

    Related: 6 Crucial Characteristics of an Effective Tech CEO

    Use of simulations to solve operational problems

    One of the best ways to share a leader’s vision is by using software simulations to map out the company’s activities to identify loopholes and pinpoint growth opportunities. Simulations can also solve technical challenges like supply chains that rely on a single provider.

    While most organizations could lack an in-house function to set up such simulations, exploring the possibilities is critical. There are powerful tools you can use to envision significant improvements, even if it means outsourcing.

    Use of virtual customer service deepfakes

    Many of your customers may not be tech-savvy and may not understand some technical issues and possible solutions. While a company can hire customer service and human resources to attend to online queries, some may struggle to hire and retain these critical staff.

    Top tech leaders explore the alternative: virtual deepfakes, which are digital videos of human replicas that help to offer customer service, entertainment or gaming. The applications are endless and can help to streamline your business operations.

    Use of predictive software to boost productivity

    Predictive software uses data to predict your next word or phrase, which is how search engines such as Google work. But in this sense, the software indicates the code likely to come next, thereby helping in faster development to help you boost productivity. This functionality is invaluable, especially where there’s a labor shortage, and tech leaders should explore the possibilities of such predictive software.

    Encouraging ownership

    When IT teams acquire ownership of a project, they play an integral role in the overall IT firm’s vision. But take care not to micromanage IT teams and their leaders. Instead, allow them to lead, run their businesses and grow as leaders.

    Inspired employees are happier and more productive, and in turn, they make the clients happy as well. Top tech leaders allow their employees to buy a share of the software and apps they develop, making them more loyal to the company’s values, vision and goals.

    An inspirational leader takes a firm stand on critical issues, especially regarding major decisions for your firm. Successful tech leaders believe in the company’s mission and goals and communicate them to all IT teams. The goal is to lead by example instead of being reactionary.

    Related: How This Tech Leader Found Her Voice and Took the Reins of a Major Company

    An effective leader assembles highly skilled teams to support the company’s ability to stay on top of its game in the highly competitive IT and software market. But to remain relevant and consistent in the industry, regular training and retraining are necessary to equip your teams with new skills and refresh the existing ones.

    To gain a competitive edge, the most successful tech leader is one who will incorporate software solutions to streamline business and facilitate team activities. These solutions could be applicable in marketing, offering customer care and predictive software for faster development of apps.

    [ad_2]

    Steve Taplin

    Source link