Technology Tangents: Conversations for Leaders in Tech

In 2024, is there a world outside of AI? We're taking an ever so slight break from our regular topic of AI to discuss other topics that CIOs should be considering, outside of AI. Vincent Yates, Jason Goth, and Kevin Erickson, three senior leaders at Credera, discuss a wide range of topics related to the evolving landscape of technology and business strategy, including the move back to the edge, how to handle technical debt, and the increasing need to focus on cybersecurity. Show outline: 00:00 – Introductions 1:02 – Outside the world of AI - what else should tech leaders be thinking through? 2:00 – Moving AI to the edge 10:39 – The downsides of building on the edge 23:00 – Technologies tangential to edge computing (i.e., WasmEdge) 26:38 – Why crypto and blockchain still aren't popular 29:26 – Protein folding (AlphaFold) - should it be done with AI? 33:56 – "Musings of tired minds" 40:15 – The increasing importance of investing in cybersecurity 43:20 – Getting a handle on technical debt 49:59 – Quick thoughts on employee engagement and retention in 2024

Most business leaders are aware that if AI isn’t incorporated into their businesses, they are at risk of being disrupted and outdated shortly. In light of this, many organizations have built out proof-of-concepts for AI, but now don’t know where to focus or which ideas to take to production. From building an initial AI strategy to enabling chosen AI initiatives at scale, Credera has helped clients realize measurable results from their AI initiatives. Vincent Yates, Jason Goth, and Kevin Erickson, three senior leaders at Credera, discuss how to build muscle and maximize optionality in the realm of AI, share suggestions for evaluating your organization’s POCs, and provide insights into the considerations and strategies for effectively implementing AI. Show outline: 00:00 – Introductions 1:03 – Where to focus AI efforts 14:06 – Why the real winners of AI likely won’t be the first disruptors 15:25 – “Maintaining optionality” and the necessity to build the innovative muscle 17:42 – How to get AI POCs into production 22:05 – The backbone of successful AI? Good, reliable, and clean data 29:50 – If you’re starting from scratch, how to build your AI strategy and take advantage of third-party products 31:27 – The necessity of taking a “build, measure, learn” approach 37:00 – The role in corporate development in AI Website: https://www.credera.com LinkedIn:   / credera   Twitter:   / credera   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeatcredera/

We've heard that first-party data will be crucial for marketers with increased regulations and Google's ongoing depreciation of third-party cookies, yet many marketing leaders are still asking the questions, "am I going about this the right way?" or even, "how do I actually get started?" With this in mind, Vincent Yates, Jason Goth, and Kevin Erickson, three senior leaders at Credera, discuss the benefits of building a first-party data strategy, how to create value that drives data sharing, and tips for building a lucrative first-party data strategy. Show outline: Intro  00:45 – Definitions of first-party and third-party cookies and the need to collect first-party data 6:30 - How leaders are responding to new regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) and regulatory risk 10:15 - When some customers want privacy and some want customized experiences... 12:25 - The value of the value-exchange 15:00 - Creating a valuable experience that makes users want to share their data 25:10 - Technological solutions helping organizations overcome the depreciation of third-party cookies (hint: first-party data collection) 29:00 - Rethinking your channel strategy and advertising approach 37:04 - The functionality of data clean rooms 39:32 - Fingerprinting 44:00 - Why leveraging your first-party data is likely your most lucrative approach

"Who should own AI in my organization?" It's a question our AI leaders are getting asked a lot, as organizations sort through how to structure and scale AI adoption at their organizations. With this in mind, Vincent Yates, Jason Goth, and Kevin Erickson, three senior leaders are Credera, discuss who should own AI in organizations to ensure quick, innovative, and safe adoption. (Spoiler alert–it's the CEO.) Show outline: Intro  00:45 – Who should own AI in an organization?  8:22 – How boards should get up to speed on AI success and governance, and why boards need to be more aggressive with AI adoption 12:06 – Comparing AI and ecommerce – adopt or get left behind 15:40 – The immediate need to create an AI strategy and concrete goals 20:11 – No excuses – should CEOs set significant challenges to enforce faster adoption? 24:00 – Is creating a Center of Excellence the way to move faster? 30:40 – Balancing security risks with opportunity   34 – Why AI adoption is ultimately the CEO's job, and a call to move quickly 46:30 – The exciting chapter of AI

AI talent is the need of the hour. It's been a mad dash to gobble up whatever talent organizations can find, at very high costs. With such high stakes, how should companies navigate this landscape and ensure ROI on AI talent investments? Vincent Yates, Jason Goth, and Kevin Erickson, three senior leaders are Credera, deep dive into the AI talent wars. Find out more on Credera.com. Show outline: Intro  0:30 – The AI talent gold rush & the Gartner hype cycle  5:00 – Building AI technology verses utilizing the technology – what does your organization actually need?  11:00 – Is fear the real root of the hype?   15:00 – Labor market shifts in the backdrop of the AI hype   23:45 – How AI will change capital allocation & the world of VCs and startups  29:07 – Is the AI boom unique, or similar to past tech revolutions?   31:59 – How will AI-natives change the workforce?  36:30 – The societal and economic impacts of the AI revolution  39:27 – Practical advice on what should companies do to navigate this landscape 

Vincent Yates and Jason Goth are back for their first podcast in 2024 and are deep diving into the trends unveiled at CES. The tech leaders share their thoughts on what trends might stick, what was truly innovative, and what was disappointing about the event.

Vincent Yates and Jason Goth are joined by Kevin Erickson, Partner at Credera. The trio share their perspectives on the imperative of retooling in the face of AI and its significance for organizations across the globe. 

Investing in AI is a crucial business decision that can significantly impact a company's future. However, the substantial costs associated and the uncertainty of achieving profitable returns pose significant challenges. How can businesses effectively navigate this risk and make informed investment choices? In this episode of our Technology Tangents podcast, Vincent Yates and Jason Goth engage in a conversation with Kevin Erickson, Partner at Credera, to delve into the intricacies of AI investment strategies. The discussion focuses on the startup-like nature of AI investments, how organizations should consider such investments, and effective methodologies for developing profitable generative AI business models.

In the latest episode of our Technology Tangents podcast, Vincent Yates and Jason Goth are joined by Kevin Erickson, Partner at Credera. The trio explore the transformative impact of AI on traditional development and testing processes, delving into critical questions that challenge our understanding of how software is built and validated. 

In the latest episode of our Technology Tangents podcast, Vincent Yates and Jason Goth are joined by Jake Carter, Chief Innovation Officer at Credera. In their discussion, our leaders explore the latest developments and transformative potential of AI, examining how AI is changing the game and driving innovation to new heights. 

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance at an unstoppable pace, business leaders are being forced to think fast and act now.   In this episode of our Technology Tangents podcast, technology experts Vincent Yates and Jason Goth take us on a journey through the intricate realm of AI philosophy and dive into the profound question: can AI diminish the value of human-crafted services and products?   They explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human ingenuity and explain why savvy business leaders will be thinking three steps forward.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is continuing to evolve at a remarkable pace, revolutionizing industries and transforming how we live, work, and interact with technology. As it continues to advance and push the boundaries of what was once thought possible, how can CIOs effectively navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape and harness its potential to drive competitive advantage for their organizations? In the latest episode of our Technology Tangents podcast, Vincent Yates and Jason Goth shed light on the trials and tribulations faced by CIOs in this fast-paced, AI-driven era. They delve into the good and the bad of AI writing code within organizations and explain why savvy CIOs are taking action now.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly influencing organizational design, introducing new possibilities and reshaping traditional structures. For business leaders, this poses the question: how do you reorganize your company so that you’re getting best of breed without reinventing the wheel from the ground up?  In this episode of our Technology Tangents podcast, Vincent Yates and Jason Goth explore the profound influence of artificial intelligence on the very structure and design of modern organizations and provide practical insights for reorganizing companies in the face of AI.  

As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prominent. Amongst its many applications, generative AI has garnered close attention for its potential to revolutionise various industries and unleash the next wave of productivity. But before organisations dive head first into the investment pool, is this new tool really worth the spend? In this episode, Vincent Yates and Jason Goth team up to discuss the economic and business implications of the latest, greatest thing: Generative AI.

Low-code tools and generative AI are revolutionizing the technology space before our eyes. As business leaders look to innovate and leverage these impressive tools, there's a lot to consider. The right solution will depend on requirements, expected development time, risk, in-house skill set, and of course, budget. In our latest episode of Technology Tangents, we are joined by Jeremiah Stone, CTO of SnapLogic, and Greg Benson, Chief Scientist at SnapLogic, who are at the forefront of helping leaders think through these important decisions. When and where should leaders use these tools verses building a system in house? What cautions and risks should they keep in mind? And how do you set up your organization to take advantage of these new technology superpowers? The group discuss the evolution of what SnapLogic leaders call "higher abstraction tooling" (generative AI, low-code environments, integrated development environments [IDEs], and even platforms like SnapLogic) and share their top recommendations for executives.

The tale of IoT growth breaks out into two categories: IoT growth in the consumer category and IoT growth for the enterprise. For the consumer, IoT products are truly transforming how people live in the 21st century. On the enterprise side, the conversation is all about productivity—how can IoT continue to create new efficiencies? Both categories drive a tremendous amount of activity, with 2022 spending on IoT reaching over $1 trillion. The growth brings many new challenges—data management, privacy issues, and lifecycle management, to name a few. In this episode of Technology Tangents, we are joined by special guest Gerald Jackson. Gerald is a Manufacturing/Supply Chain Operations & Technology executive with passion for innovation and over 20 years of experience bringing together teams to envision and deliver transformational, large-scale solutions/products to solve complex manufacturing and supply chain problems. We discuss the current state of IoT, how to address the new challenges associated with the rapid growth, and how leaders should rethink the way they run their businesses when computing power and data can be anywhere.

As 2022 came to a close, we saw numerous companies that promised to transform an existing business with the power of AI/ML go through major rounds of layoffs and ultimately fail. The question that deserved to be asked was, "was AI failing?" Credera leaders discuss why AI technology wasn't the issue, but how many organizations were leveraging it. They share guidance on when organizations should build custom AI or when to buy preexisting third-party solutions, how to monetize data based on differentiated offerings, and discuss other ways organizations can avoid AI failures.

What is your organization optimizing your platform for? While many organizations optimize for speed or quality, they may be missing a crucial third option: optimizing for the developer experience. In this episode of Technology Tangents, we are joined by special guest Michael Nygard. Michael is a seasoned technology leader who has worked as a senior technology leader for several global, Fortune 500 companies. He's also the award-winning, best-selling author of “Release It!” and “Release It! Second Edition”. The conversation began with a focus on the need to radically simplify environments and the unintended consequences of how we build modern architectures, but then shifted to a discussion on the importance of creating a seamless developer experience to drive business value and competitiveness.

The threat landscape continues to drastically expand and evolve. According to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 report, 93% of cybersecurity experts believe a geopolitical instability is likely to lead to catastrophic cyber attack in the next two years. Why are we seeing greater cyber attacks now? Who is most at risk? We break down how CIOs and CTOs should think about the current threats and what investments they need to make to protect their organizations and secure their network structures.  Verizon's 2022 Data Breach Investigation Report

With the recent lawsuit against Google, how should organizations react? Jason Goth and Vincent Yates discuss the implications for personalized marketing and the shift to utilizing first party data and the neutral clean rooms. They also continue the conversation on what's different about ChatGPT and share how ChatGPT is similar to boxed cake.