#automation

Will AI change jobs?  Yes, but somethings will be altered less than others.

https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2023/07/jobs-that-ai-cant-replace/

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Jacob Bank, founder and CEO of Relay, combines AI with Human Judgement to automate repeated tasks in modern workflow.

Show Notes

[01:11]  Jacob provided an overview of Relay which is a workflow automation tool that aims to save you time on repeated tasks and help automate the components of repeated tasks that computers are really good at while still letting you apply human judgement and insight to the parts that need your assistance.  It is essentially a modern and collaborative version of Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate.

[01:59]  Jacob discussed how he got the inspiration for the company which traced back to his academic roots of computer science/social science research and product management experience at Google.  There are 3 key insights during the initial ideation stage of the company: i) repeated process requiring human judgement ii) AI capabilities increasing dramatically iii) workers use many digital tools

[06:32]  Jacob discussed the market opportunity of Relay which operates within a sub-category of workflow automation ($~70-$80bn market)

[08:53]  Relay's competitive differentiation is discussed: i) human judgement added to automation ii) AI integrated directly/seamlessly into the workflow iii) cross functional collaboration

[13:47]  Jacob provided couple use cases of Relay.

[14:52]  The current market focus of Relay was discussed.  Currently, the company is focusing on fast growing tech companies (10-500 employees). Jacob touched on the use cases (relatively high frequency) where Relay can be most beneficial to customers.

[19:48]  Jacob contrasted his current journey vs. his experience at Google.

[28:12]  Conversation on fundraising.  Jacob discussed his earlier experience at Timeful where he worked with experienced cofounders which made the overall process relatively easier.  In the case of Relay, the company was able to raise its seed round relatively smoothly as the market was hitting its peak in 2021/22.  The company raised 2 seed rounds which is higher than the Series A of Timeful.

[34:06]  Discussion on Jacob handled difficult investor questions.  Jacob’s high level approach is: never try to oversell something we haven't figured out yet; Acknowledge the level of confidence in how much we have it figured out.

[36:21]   Discussion on operating metrics: The primary goal is to save time for customers and the best proxy for that is how many automations the company executes on.  The company is tracking usage of its differentiators. (e.g. How often does an automation take advantage of a human in the loop or an AI in the loop?)

[41:44]   Jacob discussed the grand challenge of a startup: no one's actually telling you what to do. Do we have the right combination of product led adoption versus sales led adoption? Are we pricing the product right? Are we targeting the right customers?  The startup leaders have to constantly iterate and question the hypothesis.

Book mentioned on the show

Endurance by Alfred Lansing and Nathaniel Philbrick

https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881

Transcript below:

Welcome to selling with Sabine.  I'm your host,  Sabine Taylor and on this Throwback Thursday, we're about to embark on an insightful journey that bridges the past and the future. Today, we'll be exploring my ChatGPT sales coaching prompt template that I developed and diving into the transformative impact of automation on the workforce. Get ready for an insightful journey as we connect the dots to uncover how past experiences is shaping the path forward.

 So, let's rewind to 2016 when I arrived at the Pittsburg Airport for a short work assignment. And while there, I noticed something very intriguing the bright yellow taxi signs were replaced by large Uber signs, and this caught my attention, and left me wondering about the changes that were unfolding before my eyes.

 Now fast forward to 2017 during another visit to Pittsburgh, I stumbled upon an article in the USA Today titled “Cities vie to become hubs of self-driving technology”.  It revealed a fierce competition amongst cities and states to become pioneers in the self-driving technology market and guess what? Uber had joined forces with the city of Pittsburgh to test this groundbreaking innovation. They even planned to create dedicated autonomous lanes allowing regular travelers to witness the marvel of self-driving cars in action, and I couldn't help but think. Okay, Pittsburgh, I see you making moves in the self-driving tech arena.

 This inspired me to delve deeper and work on a graduate paper for my instructional design class called “The Future of Work” and for this assignment, I decided to focus on Uber's journey and Pittsburg.  So, as I continued my research, I discovered an intriguing aspect of their partnership; they had initially intended to offer rides to consumers in partially self-driving cars. However, as reported by The Verge, Uber redirected their efforts and recruited between forty to fifty robotics experts, including key faculty members from Carnegie Mellon's prestigious robotics lab.

 The journey of my grad paper led me to uncover some other fascinating insights. Graduate from Carnegie Mellon's Optical Robotics Program we're securing high paying jobs, earning an impressive $150,000 per year, and that was in 2016 and 2017. So, it became evident that Uber has strategically used their brand and the partnership deal to attract top notch optical robotics expert essential for developing their self-driving technology. So, they were unafraid to make very bold and strategic moves.

However, I realized it was a bigger picture at play. The connection between the global population and their skill sets. You see, my research revealed a startling truth, and that was by the time the world reaches a population of nine billion only half of them will have the skills necessary to secure jobs. And if you take a guess, those jobs will mostly be in high-tech industries involving programming robots.

 Now here's where it gets even more intriguing. I came across an article and apologies in advance for not having the name handy, but I'll update the show notes when I can locate my graduate paper. But the article raised a thought-provoking concept that some cities were contemplating taxing robots. So, if there aren't enough skilled workers, then some governments might incentivize companies to increase robot manufacturing and impose taxes on them similar to how they tax human workers. It's an entirely new landscape that we're entering it.

Now, let's talk about why there may not be enough skilled workers. According to a Gallup article titled “The World's Broken Workplace”. Only fifteen percent of employees worldwide are generally engaged in their jobs. This means a staggering eighty five percent of employees feel disengaged and uninspired. This is a significant problem that needs addressing. And here's a tie in motivating a workforce that's disengaged or bored to learn new technologies will be challenging to say the least.

So, here's the key: finding a job that truly ignites your passion is critically important. When you love what you do, staying updated on the latest technologies and advancements in your field becomes a natural part of your career journey.

Embracing automation and tools like Chat GBT becomes less intimidating when you see them as opportunities rather than threats. Now, some of you may argue that you're too old to learn new skills or too busy to find time for acquiring new skills. I completely understand, and many people fall into this category too.  However, you may not have an option on this matter. Remember, all of those automation technologies that were in the lab between 2015, 2016, and 2017, including the advancements made during the pandemic, well they're now making their product debut.

As, a result, the job market is changing rapidly. The choice is clear, we have to move with the flow of automation to become better-skilled employees to enhance our performance in the workplace. You see corporations are beholden to their board members and shareholders who care about the stock price. Stock prices are often based on employees' ability within an organization to innovate and bring products to market to create demand. Those who embrace technology and continuously develop their skills are more likely to keep their jobs while those who resist change will be managed out of the business.

That said, as companies fully realize the cost savings of automation, it may lead to a reduction in the workforce. And in fact, a lot of the signs point to this happening.

So, a lot of this information, it is wise to diversify our income streams and consider having a side hustle such as investing in real estate. Now, this may seem like a far-fetched idea, but many of you who are listening fall into the category of “I'm too old to learn new things or “I just don't have time” to learn new things or “I'm really worried” that this new automation is gonna replace my job. All of these are valid points and valid concerns. That is why it is so important to look at other sources of income and real estate could be a great backup plan for those who are concerned about instability in the workplace. You see owning property that generates income can serve as a backup plan. So even in times of workplace disruption, your real estate investments can continue to generate cash flow providing stability during uncertain times. Now with that said, it's not a guarantee that your real estate will always produce cash flow. But for many people, it does. And, of course, you wanna get a mentor to help you with your investments, a qualified professional license mentor.

 For full disclosure, I have an inactive real estate license in the state of Georgia, and I have been in the tech field since 1997 I am someone that most would consider tech-savvy. But even in this case, I have to be proactive versus reactive when it comes to my financial planning for my retirement years. My concern is that there may not be the right type of workers to fill the demands of the marketplace. And if that happens, then who's going to feed into the social security system? That's the big issue! So, during my retirement years, if there are not enough workers to pay into the social security system, then I may not get that monthly check! And I don't wanna be in a position where I'm relying solely on social security to live.

So, that is why I'm encouraging us to think big, see the big picture, and think about what's gonna happen when you're seventy and eighty have medical crises to deal with and you don't have the money to go to the hospital.  So, keep in mind, these changes are happening these companies are pressing forward, and they're not stopping. So, we have to see our lives as a business too we cannot just sit idle and let all of these things happen and not prepare for our future.

 Now, if this information is making sense to you and you're considering running a business and hiring a sales team, and you need help coaching them to succeed in order attract more high-paying satisfied customers, or if you're a sales leader struggling to find the right words to coach your reps on their performance, I have a solution for you. I have personally developed a ChatGPT Sales Rep Coaching Prompt Generator Template that utilizes ChatGPT technology.

Now for those listening and learning about ChatGPT for the first time, here is the definition. ChatGPT is a computer program that's powered by AI that understands and responds to messages naturally. So, it makes conversation more engaging and effective. That said to access my ChatGPT Prompt Sales Coaching Generator Template, visit my LinkedIn profile. On LinkedIn, you're simply gonna search for Sabine Taylor. And Sabine has spelled “s” like success, “a” like achievement, “b” like beautiful, “i” like intelligent and “n” like nice and “e” like excellent. Once the search results populate, you should see Sabine Taylor, “the” The Sales Training Architect. Once on my profile, scroll down to the “featured” section, and click on the video title called “ChatGPT for Sales Coaching”. You can then watch a step-by-step comprehensive tutorial on how the ChatGPT Prompts Sales Coaching Template works.

Next, to access the PowerPoint deck that I show on the step-by-step tutorial, you wanna click on a file called the 5-Step ChatGPT Sales Coaching Prompt Generator Template. Once the document is open, use your mouse to hover over the lower right-hand corner to click on a square-shaped box. The document will expand, and you can download it by clicking on the downward arrow on the top left corner of that document.

As we come to the end, we’ve explored a lot, we looked at the past and present and even touched on real estate while at the same time providing valuable insights on the next steps. So, the choice is now in our hands. To embrace these advancements and work towards achieving our goals in our careers and life.

If you found this information helpful, I kindly ask you to show your support by liking, and following this podcast and also on my LinkedIn profile. Your support will go a long way in helping business owners, sales leaders, and other professionals gain valuable tips on sales coaching, plus gain a fresh perspective on automation and its impact on the workforce and of course, it will help me grow my channel. And with this in mind, if you tried the 5 Step ChatGPT Sales Coaching Prompt Generated template, let me know. I'd love to hear your perspective and feedback. And if you modified it, I'd love to know that too.  With that being said, have a great Thursday. Thank you for listening and happy selling!

Sabine, the host of the "Selling with Sabine" podcast, is a consumer-to-business sales expert with a wealth of experience in Fortune 150 tech companies, including telecommunications and cybersecurity. She holds an Adult Learning Graduate certificate and utilizes her Instructional Design Graduate program knowledge to design and develop sales training assets such as job aids, micro e-learning e-courses for her clients.

If you'd like to connect with Sabine for your training or speaking needs, you can message her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesalestrainingarchitect/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesalestrainingarchitect/

The first guests in conversation with host Maarten Masschelein are Mauricio Rodrigues and Tiago Andrade from americanas s.a. 

With more than 51 million e-commerce customers and 3,500 physical stores, americanas s.a. is Brazil’s leading retail innovation platform with a reputation for exceptional customer service and rapid distribution of products. 

In this episode, the conversation is formed around americanas’ approach to data, on which its entire retail offering is built upon, which informs both the company’s ability to recommend and sell the right products to the right people, and its mission to deliver a unified commerce experience for an incredibly diverse customer base across Brazil.

Join Maarten, Mauricio, and Tiago in conversation on innovation, automation, vision, and what makes their worlds go around. 

• More about our host, Maarten Masschelein
• Read the transcript of this episode
• Learn more americanas' chosen charity, Unicef Brasil
• Learn more about careers with americanas
• Connect with us on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
• From Soda, the provider of data reliability tools and observability platform to enable data teams to find, analyze, and resolve data issues.

Peter Bailis joins the podcast to discuss the work of his company that solves complex commercial problems through automated data analysis.

In this episode you will learn:
• Meaning of the name Sisu [3:08]
• What Sisu does [4:45]
• Sisu and the data science stack [17:00]
• Going from academia to startups [22:37]
• What Sisu looks for when hiring [28:57]
• Peter’s favorite tools [32:40]
• Peter’s academic research [45:02]

Additional materials: www.superdatascience.com/527

In the first episode of CTRL ALT DEL, we delve into the world of automation. Taylor, Marketing Coordinator at The Missing Link is joined by her co-worker Matt, Head of Automation. Listen as they discuss automation; what it is and where it's heading next.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"There's an app for that"

so goes the joke when any manual task comes up.

And you've heard the one about how Automation and Robots will take our jobs.

Or Chatbots are more efficient than people.

And how to replace your accountant with booking keeping software.

Yeah, right. 

Technology is a great enabler, but it's not a true replacement for people. Especially when it comes to high-value activities that involve complex decisions. 

Because Automation isn't the same as Expertise

There are some things technology can't do. For everything else, there's People.

In this episode, I talk with Irene Bennetts about how people are still an important part of your business

Irene Bennetts is an award-winning bookkeeping and virtual assistance expert who has successfully developed solutions across key areas for growth-driven entrepreneurs and businesses to focus on their goals, rather than their financial administration.

Founder of Admin Army, which offers progressive services in bookkeeping, accounting, business administration and virtual assistance, Irene has led her team to employ the most effective combination of personal connection and modern technological automation. Her clients have access to the most agile, proactive business services.

Irene was named as one of the Practice Ignition Top 50 Women in Accounting 2019 and was the only New Zealander to be recognised with this prestigious accolade. Admin Army was also the 2019 Institute of Certified NZ Bookkeepers Bookkeeping Business of the Year.

It’s a race against time for organizations to adapt to the new world order. Neil Kinson, Chief of Staff Redwood Software and Bernard Marr discuss why automation, now more than ever, is one of (if not the) most important steps for any organization to continue to thrive rather than just survive, how to do this in practice and what does this mean for the jobs of people within these organisations?