We’re going to talk about a slightly different approach to UNFUK – Tech Hunting.
We see two types of clients under our UNFUK brand:
- Tactical clients that are in trouble with projects or their whole software/tech team; and
- Strategic clients that are in good shape right now as far as how they are using and applying technology, but they see the 4th Industrial Revolution happening and they know they aren’t ready
Let’s talk a bit about this second kind of client… (and yes, clients do live in both realms) – the Strategic UNFUK client.
When a leader looks at the future they have two fundamental questions that keep them awake at night:
- What don’t I know?
- What don’t I see?
Whether a leader looks at his or her company’s financial situation, legal landscape, or the impacts that technology may have on my business these questions apply. When there aren’t good answers the leader, and thus the company, end up in a world of hurt.
So how do we work to UNFUK this situation?
Well, we take this lack of awareness of the opportunities and threats that trends and shifts in technology are creating and we turn them into a competitive advantage. How? Well, that’d be giving away too much of our secret sauce…
Ah – what the heck. Why not.
Let’s go Tech Hunting
Let’s start sharing a bit of the UNFUK methodology so we can move the bar!
If you’re a CEO and looking to handle your own strategy plan for the threats and opportunities that technology and the massive shifts that are happening that is phenomenal! You own the problem after all – so let’s see what I can do to help a bit.
As a starting point, I suggest as a CEO that you read the following:
- The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond – WEF founder Klaus Schwab goes into a fair bit of detail about the radical change that is happening now (not in the future – now). This paper is both exciting and terrifying. For some of my clients it has been a game changer.
- Abundance by Peter Diamandis – great book about the convergence of technologies that are happening. The exponential growth of technologies and the way that they are converging paints an amazing – but radically shifting picture.
Those 2 pieces alone will be a few hours (how fast do you finish a non-fiction book?) of reading – and days of thinking. I had one client that went into a spin of excitement and horror after reading Schwab’s article. We’ve been making some magic since.
Both Schwab and Diamandis cover similar trends and technologies and they speak to the convergence effect. This is great for tech hunting. The key for you, as CEO is to understand how each of this shifts impacts your current and planned lines of business and your non-line areas. Consider the following:
- How is the shift a Threat?
- How is the shift an Opportunity?
- Where do you need to prepare your people for shifts? What kind of preparation do you need for them?
- When may the major impact of the shift be felt/seen?
- Who is going to lead from a strategic side?
- and our fundamental questions:
- What don’t I know?
- What don’t I see?
That should get you started.
If you get stuck reach out to someone – your peers, trusted advisors, and industry experts can help. Nobody is certain about exactly what shifts will happen and when but many out there get the big picture and can help.
Also published on Medium.