Week 18 - August 4
Walt's Spin
This week, digital transformation hits businesses upside the head, the economy, the economy, the economy, and how IT Leaders are handling the recession.
In the realm of remote monitoring, the McDonalds McFlurry machines became a meme as they were always 'broken' - social media blew up with complaints and conspiracies around how the machines weren't broken, employees just didn't want to operate the machines.
Enter a start-up company called Kytch. Kytch created a small device that monitored and reported data from the McFlurry machines - data about service, usage, etc. (Sound familiar?)
The remote monitor logged millions of transactions and few service outages.
It's comparable to your IT department telling end users "...the color printer is down, again..." because supporting a color unit is more difficult than keeping them using the HP III. Only to have end-users Tweet and TikTok and spout off about how "The color printer never works." But it did and does. So you sue because the market thinks your machines are crap.
More digital transformation goodness, and the IT folks are dealing with the upcoming recession.
You should be doing more on LinkedIn, and you know it. How else do your think I found somebody writing about 3D printing dirt. No really.
IBM put the PC in the typewriter division and confidently exclaimed, "We may sell, 400,00 computers - ever." Dance, elephant, dance.
And a few Quick Clicks; Meta holds its first tournament, everybody is paying for podcasts - just look at our little niche - and watch out for fake LinkeIn users when interviewing to fill positions, it is the latest hack.
Enjoy the Week, Cheers!
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"Greg, what was the most effective course you've ever taken - in all your education, from formal to selling?"
"Typing 101", in 8th grade."
I found this great little piece about typewriters - which of course is the core of everything we do, everyday. If you know QWERTY, then you know what I mean.
The typewriter is freeing. It doesn’t ping with distractions. It’s simply a tool for absorbing yourself completely in your work. For many writers, it’s not about getting things done fast. It’s about getting things right. Those who still love typewriters see them as the best way to dive fully into the world they’re creating.
Not that I would trade the 'delete' key for White Out, but what I wouldn't give to hear 50 or so Royals kicking it out.
Enjoy, here.
Tech geniuses sue McDonald’s for $900MILLION after invention to fix McFlurry machines was banned
"...the startup created a gadget that could be placed inside the ice cream machine and send real-time data to a manager’s mobile phone that identified the problem and suggested a solution..."
Kytch is demanding $900 million from McDonald's, accusing them of false advertising and defamation.
The official document accuses McDonald's of falsely claiming Kytch's product was prone to "cause serious human injury," as well thwarting the startup's contracts with current and potential customers.
The pleading was brought forth by Kytch's cofounders, Melissa Nelson and Jeremy O'Sullivan, who are demanding no less than $900 million in damages.
McDonald's has had issues with its McFlurry ice cream serving machines, which are provided by appliance manufacturing company Taylor.
However, in 2019, Kytch was brought on board to fix the malfunctionings – the startup created a gadget that could be placed inside the ice cream machine and send real-time data to a manager’s mobile phone that identified the problem and suggested a solution.
Read more, here.
领英推荐
How IT Leaders Are Handling the Paradox of Recession
Last week, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by 75 basis points, the second such move in recent months designed to combat the growing trend of recession. No matter how you want to label what’s going on with the economy right now, the facts are undeniable. Spending is decreasing, prices are rising rapidly, and the entire enterprise supply chain is feeling the weight of an economic downturn.??
How do we limit short-term risk and exposure while keeping our transformation initiatives on track and creating business value???
Drive Enhanced Financial Transparency
Establishing a “true” cost of IT might sound like simple good hygiene, but most large organizations struggle to achieve full accuracy. When the times call for a lean approach to spending, it becomes ever more crucial to make the real cost of IT transparent for business and technology stakeholders. Reaching that state opens the door to improving forecasting, refining performance metrics, creating variable cost models, and making well-informed decisions on new investments.??
Read the rest, here.
How the next phase of digital transformation will supercharge your business
The pandemic kicked digital transformations into high gear across virtually every industry, but what happens next? One thing is absolutely certain: digital transformation is not slowing down any time soon.
Consumers are driving this global shift, and demanding better experiences across every digital channel. According to a recent?study, 88% of consumers say they expect companies to accelerate digital offerings because of the pandemic.
Read more, here.
These 3D-printed dirt walls grow a garden when you water them
A team of designers in Jerusalem wants to swap concrete and reinforcement steel for living walls entirely made of natural materials.
It's pretty cool to 3D print walls that grow plants.
"We wanted to create architecture that is made out of totally organic and local materials that you don’t need to transport materials from the other side of the world,..."
This project substitutes soil for concrete when constructing curbs, walls and the like. Imagine 3D printing your backyard garden each year or putting down acres of farm land where once there were none.
Fascinating. Read more, here.
Prospecting on LinkedIn: Does it Pay?
Just by reading this, I know you're at least minimally active on LinkedIN, but did you know according to some LinkedIn business statistics:
Advanced B2B professionals?are developing relationships on LinkedIn.?It’s worth repeating — salespeople are initiating contact, establishing credibility, and building bonds and rapport online.
Get good info, here.
Quick Clicks