Hyperactive Marketing Technology World
Outside Forces at the Gate – Keep Calm, Stop Bickering and Work Like a Salve.
Social-media is full of new products buzz. The noise activity is global in nature, not just from technology and financial centers (silicon valley, wall street). The explosion is pushing marketing managers to compete and take advantage of the situation. From direct contact with buyers and markets to writing-editing and analytics, marketers are no longer “just” writers and advertisers. They need to know what consumers are doing with technology and content. They need to know how technology can be harnessed for business. If you are in a traditional business setting you are the technical leader of your coop. This role is new for many content specialists, faster you adjust, better it will be. If you are a one-man-show you need to know a bit of a few different new professions, grab a book and get started. The number and diversity of new job descriptions is increasing steadily. The changes are definitely putting pressure on some of us. Yet we are also facing with a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. Where you stand depends on your perspective, your energy and ability to learn. It also depend on how fast and hard you are willing to move. (this is a post about people’s individual abilities) This is not new, don’t forget:
Create like a god, command like a king, work like a slave. – Constantin Brancusi
The title “Hyperactive Marketing Technology World” is reflection of my half sarcasm half comforting view. Sarcasm to point out how some see progress, innovation and change as difficult and threatening (I don’t think it is). When you work hard and reach even a small accomplishment, hearing someone’s grumble of how hard learning a new skill can be is better met with sarcasm. The comforting side comes from people who struggle and yet fall short. We are all going to reach beyond our grasp sometimes. With new business tools we are all learning and making mistakes. We all look at others’ work and their results. Sometimes we are amazed (and impressed) and other times we become jealous (almost depressed). The range of emotions when we learn, try and fail should not lead to stopping or crying from disrepair. Yet we are all creatures of emotion, we are all going to react. The same goes to how we react to others. Let’s be careful before we blame and put down. Sometimes our reverence will lead to hero worshiping, that’s not right either. Sometimes the opposite will lead to dislike or worst (my experience with blame goes back years). Before you act or even speak, take stock of your situation.
The speed and amount which information is generated and distributed today is orders of magnitude higher than ever before. The ability to find, store and publish is not what it was in the past. But these changes are a consequence of technology adoption and use which is decades in the works. Keeping our cool and using what we can is better than panicking or hollering wow out loud. On a personal (and organizational) level we should get beyond the “wow factor” which leads to amazement and fear. We should also get beyond the “tiny single wo/man against the world factor” which attributes success and failure to a single link in a long chain. While some individuals do success and become celebrities, most of the work is done by teams or in collaboration. (more on how to think and look at the situation in future posts)
Regardless of your perspective and experience you still need to figure out how to get things done. If you are new to a job, learning is not simple or easy. While you should not panic or become enamored with technology (or a technologist), keeping up with technology, market preferences and competition is sometimes a huge undertaking. Taking your work seriously and putting in an above average effort. Learning quickly, testing and getting out of blind alleys when you get there is also crucial. Working smart is something you will gain as time goes forward.
If you think paranoia or feeling of panic are new to technology business, take a look at Andy Grove’s Only the Paranoid Survive. Grove was one of the founders at Intel. He received a back seat place from the press. Working at the shadows of Gordon Moore (Moore’s law) and Robert Noyce (Shockley co-worker) was not easy. But with the two scientists and visionaries at the top of Intel, Grove strove to become the business manager at Intel. His application of business practices into the mostly technical management at Intel essentially started the business practice in technology. His impact at Intel can not be underestimated. At the early days of microprocessor “wars” (Intel vs. Motorola vs. AMD) he applied the business concept of line extension. Intel was first to produce multiple products based on one key product. When asked at a Stanford University business lecture: “why don’t you make more than one processor at once?” his first reaction was: “nobody does that, how can anyone design and produce more than one chip at the time?” Needless to say, the business crowd practically tore him apart (probably after getting off the floor laughing). My sarcasm aside, Grove quickly understood how business knowledge from non-technical fields could improve Intel’s overall performance. In the case of designing multiple processors in parallel, business actually made Intel unique and gave the firm a huge advantage over their competition. Decades later he is still relevant!
Why Is This NOT a 250 Word Post?
Market preferences and activity is one of the crucial elements in our daily work. When markets explode as the saying goes: “hit the Iron when its hot”. Quickly take advantage of the situation and get your share. Every gold rush has it’s “miners” (insiders) and it’s “outsiders”. If you are not an insider in this gold rush, you are missing out on one of the biggest opportunities in centuries. One aspect of keeping a pulse of the technology, business and the work of today is reading on the situation and what was done to get here. If you are still with me, keep at it and let me know what is helpful. Unfortunately our world is too complicated and changes constantly. This makes the writing long. Hopefully you can keep up with the reading and learning and get some benefit from the writing here. Thanks!