Emerging Tech Business Strategies

Emerging Departments: How AI is Transforming Organizations Transformation in light of AI isn't just about digital change—it's strategic, cultural, and organizational. Early results of organizational optimization with AI reveal that traditional structures are evolving into new, combined departments that break down silos and enhance collaboration. Here are some emerging trends: 1. Human Experience Department (Led by the CXO) Combines marketing, HR, and customer service to create a unified experience approach. Focuses on customer and employee experience as a seamless continuum. Example: Airbnb and Starbucks blending internal and external engagement for holistic experience design. 2. The Intelligence Function (Led by Chief Data & Intelligence Officer (CDIO)) Merges IT, data analytics, and AI strategy into a unified intelligence function. Enhances decision-making with data-driven insights and technology integration. Example: Microsoft and Amazon use intelligence functions to support strategy and innovation. 3. Integrated Growth Department (Led by the CGO) Combines Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success to create cohesive client journeys. Prioritizes growth by aligning customer interactions across all touchpoints. Example: HubSpot and Salesforce driving client experience continuity. 4. Strategic Innovation & Transformation Office (Led by Chief Strategy Officer or Chief Transformation Officer) Combines strategy, innovation, and transformation initiatives for continuous evolution. Fosters agility by integrating foresight and innovation into long-term strategy. Example: Tesla blending innovation with strategic growth planning. 5. Technology and Digital Transformation Department (Led by the Chief Technology & Transformation Officer) Integrates IT, digital transformation, and cybersecurity under one strategic role. Embeds technology into workflows while ensuring security and compliance. Example: Cisco and IBM streamlining their digital transformation efforts. 6. Resilience and Continuity Department (Led by the Chief Risk Officer) Oversees Risk Management, Business Continuity, and Strategic Foresight. Ensures organizational resilience in an increasingly FLUX world. Example: JP Morgan building resilience to mitigate risks and ensure continuity. 7. Ethics and Responsible AI Office (Led by the CEAO) Ensures ethical AI use and compliance with regulatory standards. Maintains trust and integrity as AI becomes central to business strategy. Example: Microsoft and IBM proactively building ethics frameworks for responsible AI. In sum, AI is driving fundamental shifts in how we structure our organizations. To thrive, leaders must think beyond digital transformation and focus on strategic, cultural, and organizational evolution. The companies that succeed will be those that break down silos, integrate their functions, and embrace transformation as a continuous journey.

In case you missed my talk today at the AMAA event, here are 5 key takeaways for driving adoption of general emerging tech, inspired by Jonah Berger's The Catalyst: 1. Don't "Sell" the Tech; Diagnose and Solve the User's Problem. The most critical shift is moving away from features-and-benefits evangelism. Instead, become a "catalyst" by deeply understanding why the target audience hasn't already adopted the new tech. Identify their existing pain points, anxieties, and ingrained habits, and then position the emerging tech as the direct, friction-reducing solution to their specific obstacles, not just a cool new tool. 2. Quantify the Cost of "Doing Nothing" (The Status Quo). People inherently resist change due to "endowment bias" – the perceived value of what they already possess (even if it's suboptimal). To counter this, vividly illustrate the quantifiable, often hidden, costs of sticking with the old ways. Show how inaction leads to lost efficiency, missed opportunities, increased vulnerability, or competitive disadvantage. Make the existing situation feel more costly and risky than adopting the new solution. 3. Make the Unfamiliar Feel Familiar (Shrink the Distance). Emerging technologies often feel distant or intimidating. Bridge this psychological gap by connecting the new tech to existing mental models or familiar workflows. This could mean integrating it seamlessly into current systems, using analogies to widely adopted technologies, or breaking down complex changes into small, easily digestible, and less daunting steps. The goal is to reduce the perceived leap required for adoption. 4. De-Risk Trial and Experience (Alleviate Uncertainty). The unknown generates paralyzing uncertainty. For emerging tech, reduce the perceived risk of trying it out. Offer low-commitment pilots, free trials, "try before you buy" options, or phased rollouts. Focus on delivering tangible, immediate value with minimal upfront investment or perceived disruption, allowing users to experience benefits and build confidence without high stakes. Remember: this isn't just a trial. It's a solved problem, delivered. 5. Leverage Social Proof and Trusted Voices (Corroborate & Encourage Others). Humans are inherently influenced by what others do, especially those they respect or relate to. Actively showcase successful adoptions, particularly by peers, industry leaders, or respected third parties. This goes beyond testimonials; it's about demonstrating real-world impact through credible case studies or endorsements from diverse, trusted sources. This collective validation reduces individual risk perception and signals that adoption is becoming the norm. If you're interested in the full script from the talk (including targeted examples for internal stakeholders, external investors, or regulators/policymakers), email me at alison@theoutlooklab.com or DM me here. Thank you again to Michael Petch and the 3D Printing Industry team for the opportunity today.

Imagine this: it’s 2014, and Elon Musk makes a move that has the world scratching its head. He gives away Tesla’s patents. To competitors. For free. The headlines called it “crazy.” The auto giants scoffed. But what looked like an act of charity turned out to be one of the most brilliant business strategies of our time. Here’s why: Back then, the EV market was tiny, and the charging infrastructure was practically nonexistent. If Tesla wanted to grow, they couldn’t do it alone. So, Elon didn’t focus on winning the race. He focused on building the track. By opening Tesla’s patents, he: • Encouraged others to build EVs, validating the market. • Set Tesla’s tech as the industry standard. • Accelerated investment in charging networks. And while competitors were busy playing catch-up, Tesla scaled. The Gigafactory became Tesla’s secret weapon—producing batteries so efficiently that by 2016, their costs were 60% lower than competitors. The result? Tesla didn’t just lead the EV market; they defined it. This wasn’t about generosity—it was about playing the long game. --- The lesson? The future of business isn’t just competition. It’s collaboration. It's about: • Building ecosystems. • Setting the standards. • Creating network effects. This applies to startups, SMBs, and even established companies: Shopify (SHOP): By fostering a vast partner ecosystem of over 700,000 app developers and designers, Shopify has amplified its platform’s capabilities, driving significant growth. Palantir Technologies (PLTR): Through strategic partnerships with organizations like IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Palantir has enhanced its data analytics platforms, enabling clients to build and deploy AI applications more effectively. Rippling: By integrating with various third-party applications and expanding its partner ecosystem, Rippling has created a unified workforce platform that streamlines HR, IT, and finance operations for businesses. Perplexity AI: A rising player in conversational AI, Perplexity builds open and extensible AI systems, allowing developers to integrate its technology into a variety of applications. Its collaborations and community-driven approach foster an ecosystem of innovation.

Excited to share my latest AWS blog post, co-authored with the incredible Tom Soderstrom, former NASA JPL CTO. With disruption happening 50x faster than just five years ago, Tom and I break down how executives can stay ahead of emerging tech trends. Here's our playbook for turning tech disruption into opportunity: • Build a focused technology scouting team (but keep it scrappy!) • Create a "Center of Engagement" - forget centers of excellence  • Use simple one-page position papers to track emerging tech • Remember: no organization can do it alone - partnerships are key A big thanks to Tom for bringing his NASA and public sector expertise to this piece. Together, we're helping leaders navigate the accelerating pace of tech change. Get Going. Now Would Be Good. Yesterday Would Have Been Better. Link to the blog in the comments below. #Innovation #Technology #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #AWS #AWSEnterpriseStrategy

Today, T-Mobile made a significant move by acquiring Vistar Media, signaling the direction of the marketing and tech industry for 2025 and beyond, especially impacting the B2B marketing/sales sector. The key theme emerging is consolidation. The "recent" MarTech expansion has introduced a plethora of innovative products, each addressing specific marketing aspects. When integrated with other tools, these products collectively cover the entire marketing spectrum. For instance, to build a robust outbound sales engine, a combination of 10-15 tools is essential, including a Lead Database, Data Scraping, Data Enrichment, Email Deliverability, Sales Sequencing, Lookalike Audiences, Meeting Tools, and CRM. In the coming year, we anticipate more market leaders acquiring companies to streamline these tech stacks. Simultaneously, smaller tech firms have the opportunity to challenge the established players by enhancing their products to address a wider range of user needs within a single platform. If you're an earlier-stage businesses involved in this space then you should speak to your customers/clients frequently and focus on using your agility to address their needs within your platform. Whilst the big players can buy companies and their tech, making it commercially viable as a consolidated service can be a slow process - beat them to it.