And so, some five years since I suggested it, Microsoft have at last bought LinkedIn. During my interview process for my ill-fated spell at the Redmond giant's UK branch, I was asked which Cloud-based company Microsoft should buy. My response was LinkedIn - for years I've regarded it as the only Enterprise Social Network, and it seemed … Continue reading The acquisition thing…
This week I have learned: I do, quite frankly, spend far too much of my time wondering what on earth is going on Listening to the Brexit debate is making me worry about the collective sanity of this country Start small. Scale what works. Repeat. Next Week: FOOTBALL!
“Can you just knock me up a couple of slides on that?” are words that I dread. If you've ever seen me present you'll know I'm of the “seemingly random series of images” school of PowerPoint, and I'm pretty certain that someone asking me for a couple of slides isn't looking for a collection of … Continue reading Knocking up PowerPoint
This week I have learned: - Chinese time zones can have a calming effect - 24 hour notice is enough time to be briefed and deliver a reasonable presentation - but I really struggle to write slides for other people Next week: new joiner
I'm a couple of months into looking at the role of digital in the transformation of professional services organizations, and whilst I wouldn't be as naive to say that the fog is rising, I'm at least starting to make sense of some shapes and patterns in the murk. There are many companies that say that … Continue reading Building a business of makers
This week I have learned: - a great new three stage model for technology innovation: "toy; disruption; obvious" - and a new spin on the hype cycle: "tech tourettes" - my focus now becomes fostering communities of makers... - ... who might be currently thinking in the mindset of specifier/purchaser - it's also time for … Continue reading Weeknote 290: after the main event
I spent some time last night globetrotting from the comfort of my sofa. Wearing the Oculus Gear headset, and exploring Google Streetview VR through the power of my voice I was able to teleport across the world. At one level this is incredible. I remember fondly back to the Domesday Project of the 1980s and … Continue reading What the Butler Saw
I’ve been a big (and somewhat boring) fan of Chromebooks since I first took the plunge with my first back in 2013 (one of the original Samsung models). I’ve had a couple more since then – an Acer which was given to me at a Twilio event in 2014, and then the Asus Chromebook Flip … Continue reading Android Apps on ChromeOS
This week I have learned: I'm using the phrase "skin in the game" way too much. Alternative metaphors requested. Maybe the best way to prioritize initiatives in organizations is to go for those ones for which people outside of tech teams are willing to put "skin in the game" (See what I mean?) Organizing events … Continue reading Weeknote 289: getting together
There is a great deal of hubbub in the legal tech community around a well-PRed artificial intelligence system called Ross. Aside from the cute trick of anthropomorphizing the inanimate object with a clever acronym, Ross is the sort of machine automation that many have been warning will herald an existential crisis in middle-class professions in … Continue reading Black Boxes
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