The Leading Edge #8

Hey there, Leading Edgers! ??

Welcome to another packed edition of The Leading Edge. I'm thrilled to have you all back for our 8th installment. Your interest and engagement mean the world to me! I am taking a vacation in Rhodes, Greece and managed to squeeze in this letter on Sunday noon. So maybe let me start with a picture from sunkissed Acropolis of Lindos taken today.

With that done, we've got an absolute smorgasbord of exciting topics lined up. From the incredible story of Reddit's $60M data goldmine to the potential "Kodak moment" unfolding at Infosys, we're diving deep into the world of AI, data products, and the tech giants shaping our future. We'll also pay tribute to the late, great Daniel Kahneman and explore the fascinating psychological insights that made him a true intellectual icon. And because we can't resist a bit of intrigue, we'll unpack the curious phenomenon of why online news titles are so often riddled with negativity.

So sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and get ready to immerse yourself in the cutting edge of technology, business, and human behavior.

Let's get this edition started, shall we?

How about $60M for your Data Product?

Chief Data Officers (CDOs) everywhere are being bombarded with the question: "How can we monetize our data?"

In the times of Generative AI, the answer may be surprisingly easy.

The Reddit story is an amazing showcase of it. Last month, Reddit struck a $60 million deal with Google. Reddit used this story to good effort for their IPO, which is currently around $49, making it worth around $8Bn

But what did they sell?

Not physical products, but something far more valuable in today's world: data.

They're unlocking their data for AI training.

If a platform like Reddit, known for its chaotic conversations, can command such a high price, just imagine the value of curated data.

Curated data is stepping out of the shadows to become a dynamic force driving the value of AI projects and products.

If you are thinking in Data Products - keep this in mind - you don’t need to sell to google.?You can tap that goldmine yourself and unlock that value right now for your product and services.The narrative of data products is only beginning. Their importance is set to grow exponentially.

How are your data products unlocking value?

Infosys’s Kodak Moment? ??

Accenture in recent earing calls claimed over $1.1 Bn in revenues in Generative AI. CEO Julie Sweet says it’s the fastest?they have ever built sales in an emerging technology.

This brings me to Infosys, the Indian IT Consulting Giant.

Back in 2015, Infosys was part of the original team that made a donation to the tune of $1Bn to OpenAI.

The then CEO Vishal Sikka was a visionary when it came to AI, and had plans to integrate some of these research ideas into Infosys solutions. He was an advisor to OpenAI then.

But he was gone too soon - maybe because he upset the traditional ways of Infosys too much, maybe other reasons. He stepped down as the CEO in 2017.

A great opportunity loss for Infosys?

Not much is known about what they are doing on Generative AI now, but it sure looks like Accenture is the king of the hill with their $3Bn investments over generative AI in past 3 years - and revenues ramping up.

Brings me back to the story of how Kodak had built the first digital cameras but never really benefitted from them.

Last week, the world lost a true intellectual giant

Daniel Kahneman, a luminary in the field of psychology and economics, passed away at the age of 90.

There are many stories one could say about Dan, but to me most heartfelt was his experience as an 8-year old boy. He was walking one late evening back to his home, disobeying a 6PM curfew in Nazi occupied France.

In his own words:

“As I was walking down an empty street, I saw a German soldier approaching. He was wearing the black uniform that I had been told to fear more than others – the one worn by specially recruited SS soldiers.

As I came closer to him, trying to walk fast, I noticed that he was looking at me intently. Then he beckoned me over, picked me up, and hugged me. I was terrified that he would notice the star inside my sweater.

He was speaking to me with great emotion, in German. When he put me down, he opened his wallet, showed me a picture of a boy, and gave me some money.

I went home more certain than ever that my mother was right: people were endlessly complicated and interesting.”

Stereotyping comes easily to us Humans.

As an 8-year old Dan showed the spark of human understanding which goes far beyond that stereotyping.?Years later, a chance encounter with?Amos Tversky would ignite this to a lifelong collaboration that would reshape psychology.

Rest in peace, Daniel Kahneman. Your ideas live on, shaping the minds of generations to come.

Bad News: Articles Full of Awful, Scary and Hateful content?

Why News Titles are full of negative messages? Because negativity drives online news consumption.

See what I did there with my title? It has 4 negative key words from the list.

Just A:B testing people. Don’t “hate” the messenger.???

Until next week...

We're still young - this is only edition number eight! - so your feedback is crucial. Hit reply and let me know what you think! Want to see a specific topic covered next week? Don't be a stranger, share your ideas!

And of course, if you find this newsletter valuable, spread the knowledge! Share it with your network and help us grow. ????

See you next week!

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