5 books to make sense of tech for business

In my last post, I shared a few unlikely books to help you uncover solutions to business (or personal) challenges. Now it’s time to shine the spotlight on tech. 

State-of-the-art devices, AI, IoT and other tech innovations are changing the way we navigate just about everything. In business, this doesn’t mean only new infrastructures: we are seeing changes from the very structures and models of business (think pay-per-view vs. subscription) to the ways we work and interact, be it with colleagues, robots, or… cobots!

So how do you build a strong company in the era of AI, BigData and automation? It certainly requires a different approach than what might have worked 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. Shifting mindsets and organizations are just the tip of the iceberg. We are also experiencing a shift of power and influence in the marketplace. And this will continue to have implications for years to come for global economies and for those of us doing business within them...

Here, I have listed 5 books to help you make sense of it all, especially if you’re launching a startup as we did with VisionHub, or if you work with tech startups or established giants. 

1. The Political Spectrum

by Thomas Winslow Hazlett

We often forget the impact of government policies on the entrepreneurial environment, particularly when VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) reign. This book reads like a pamphlet against censorship and the political class and examines the role of US politics in the manipulation of the development of certain technologies, suppressing innovation to serve its own needs. 

If a state decides to push for a specific technology, chances are there’s no stopping it. Case in point: the WeChat app, which is becoming more and more indispensable for the daily lives of Chinese. Likewise, government censorship can stymie innovation: Author Thomas Winslow Hazlett explores the early days of the radio industry, claiming the 1927 Radio Act didn’t actually serve the public interest but halted radio growth—and controlled the airwaves for nearly a century to come, from TV to satellite radio to wireless communications. 

Yet despite bureaucratic impediments, wireless innovation later pushed forward. New broadcasting technologies came about, leading to entirely new industries. For example, you may not think of Uber or Lyft as wireless businesses, but without the smartphone revolution and the loosening of the radio spectrum, they wouldn't exist today! 

To me, this book is a not-so-subtle reminder to “Disrupt yourself or be disrupted.” 

2. L'Empire des Données (“The Data Empire”)

by Adrien Basdevant and Jean-pierre Mignard

This French essay is an attempt to analyze what is going on in a data-driven society, not only in terms of privacy, but also in terms of how Big Data and algorithms shape the conditions on which we can access jobs or credit. The authors’ aim is to provide us ways we can protect ourselves and our communities from things we sometimes don’t even understand. 

This book got me thinking about how to deal with my customers’ personal data. It reinforced my belief in the golden rule: act like you would want to be treated. If you don’t want your life to be exposed, make it so that it is the same within the ecosystem you’re trying to build.

The pragmatist in me appreciated the hands-on solutions that the authors deliver. The concept of “Tech for Good” is also really well developed, which spoke to the social entrepreneur in me and resonated with the mission of VisionHub to make eyecare more accessible anywhere. This book challenges you to think about how you can push for this kind of tech, and work towards a more enlightened digital world. 

3. Applied Artificial Intelligence: A handbook for business leaders

by Mariya Yao, Marlene Jia and Adelyn Zhou

AI is not only an engineering term, nor is it a fantasy anymore. Everybody seems to be jumping on the AI bandwagon, but is anybody stopping to check that it is the right tool for them? (And yes, it is only one tool and not the Alpha and Omega.) The question you have to first ask is: how could AI bring added value to your business? 

The authors tell you what you need to know about AI as business leaders: what it really is, what is at stake, and how it stands to transform our industries. It also provides useful tools to be able to recognize and address the fears it sparks in people… particularly those concerned about their data privacy or losing their jobs to robots. 

Best of all, this handbook gives us concrete steps to take to leverage the power of AI!

4. Ultra Hi Def Marketing: The 5-Step Guide to Total World Domination in the Tech Industry

by Coleen Sterns Leith

Here is another concrete “guide” to help business leaders, this time with a focus on the tech industry, navigate in a world where competition is getting fiercer by the day. How can you keep your company relevant in such a rapidly changing landscape? This is the question answered by expert Coleen Sterns Leith.

Today, business leaders, startup founders and teams need new ideas and can use the help of a step-by-step plan to handle a world that is transforming before our very eyes. We need to get ready for a change that’s coming whether we like it or not! I like this book because it is not about explaining what AI, Augmented Reality or other technologies can do, it’s about learning how to properly leverage your marketing so that your company can stand out, explained by an expert consultant and her proprietary, proven methods.

5. La Guerre des Intelligences (“The war of Intelligences”)

by Laurent Alexandre

This book by French expert Laurent Alexandre asks all sorts of questions about AI, and in particular, how human intelligence can compete, grow or collaborate with it. How can we stay relevant and compete against AI programs that learn to do tasks in a fraction of the time it takes humans? What would be our place in this new society?

It is time to ask ourselves which direction we want to take and where we want to be headed. This book gives us an occasion to take a step back and think about it, not only as business leaders with responsibilities towards our human employees, but also as humans part of a changing world that we are still shaping.

Have you read any of these books? How do you see tech changing the way we make and run businesses? Share your thoughts below!