December 2024 – M.Y. Lessons Learnt

𝟮𝟱 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗼 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗕𝘂𝗴

Remember Y2K? 25 years ago today (December 31st, 1999), the world held its breath as the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 2000. Teams everywhere, from customer services, to IT and finance, were on high alert, ready to tackle the deadly millennium bug.

I was leading the Internet Services team of an eCommerce company at the time, and we were no exception. The tension was apparent as we meticulously checked databases, applications, and all critical business processes. And then … nothing happened. Business as usual. 😅

Whether the bug was real or not, our two years of preparation paid off. It was a testament to the power of teamwork, detailed planning, and a healthy dose of paranoia!

𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆

A new technological dawn is upon us. AI is rapidly evolving, with Agentic AI poised to become a significant force in 2025. And the quantum computing revolution, with its potential to disrupt everything, is approaching closer than ever (aka Q-Day).

Are we ready for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead? Let’s embrace the future with the same diligence and collaborative spirit that helped us conquer the millennium bug!

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿!

#Y2K #MillenniumBug #AI #AgenticAI #QuantumComputing #QDay #TechFlashback #FutureOfWork #Innovation #ThrowbackTuesday

One Book At A Time – 2024

In 2024, information overload was a constant companion. AI tools could now summarize anything from websites to audiobooks, but it lacked the depth and nuance of truly engaging with a story. Still, finding a good reason for long-from reading felt like a big challenge nowadays.

Yet, I carved out precious moments for some reading escapes. Here are a few of my favorite books from this year:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗜 𝗦𝗲𝗲: 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗻 of AI by Fei-Fei Li (Kindle link: https://amzn.to/3PcxNVI) explores the exciting intersection of AI and human understanding.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗢𝘄𝗻: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗘𝗿𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁 by Chris Dixon (Kindle Link: https://amzn.to/3VZHrPj) dives into the future of the internet, shaped by Web3 technologies.
𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 by Nick Bostrom (Kindle link: https://amzn.to/3BKBTBq) examines the potential risks and rewards of superintelligent AI.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 by Adrian Niculescu (Kindle Link: https://amzn.to/3ZYd9O2) explores the world of tokenized assets and blockchain investing.

Reading in the age of AI comes with its own set of challenges, so here are some tips to help you squeeze in reading time:

𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲: I carry my Kindle Colorsoft (my 6th Kindle! – https://amzn.to/4gVnNvT) with me everywhere. Unlike tablets, e-readers minimize distractions from emails, notifications, and social media.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀: Even short bursts of dedicated reading can make a big difference. Utilize commutes, waiting times, or short breaks for focused reading. In my case, I also enjoy a dedicated reading session after lunch.
𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆: Designate a quiet, comfortable space in your home and office to signal to your brain that it’s time to focus on reading.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Discuss books with friends, join a book club, or connect with online reading communities to enrich your reading experience.

Ultimately, reading remains a source of deep satisfaction and intellectual growth. It allows us to escape the noise, explore new ideas, and connect with the power of human imagination.

What were your reading highlights of 2024? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀!

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗲: 𝗔 𝟯𝟬-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗢𝗱𝘆𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘆

I started my dial-up journey with a 300 baud modem and a Commodore 64 computer. I mainly used for exploring the nascent online world and teaching myself the fundamentals of programming. Then fast forward for 10 years or so …

The screech of a 19.2k baud modem connecting to CompuServe still echoes in my memory. BBSes were my social network, and forums were where I found my online community.

Then, in December 1994, a magazine called “.Net” opened my eyes to the world of the Internet and the World Wide Web. It was like discovering a new universe. I was hooked. Armed with Notepad (the only IDE available!), I built my first website in 1995.

The years that followed were a whirlwind of innovation:

𝗘-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲: We went from dial-up shopping to the seamless convenience of online marketplaces.

𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮: Platforms like Facebook and Twitter/X connected us globally, fostering communities and sparking conversations.

𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Smartphones became our constant companions, transforming how we communicate, work, and entertain ourselves.

Today, I’m amazed by how far technology has come. The once-distant world of the Internet is now deeply woven into our daily lives. What wonders will the next 30 years bring?

#technology #innovation #digitaltransformation #internet #worldwideweb

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁

7 years ago, at a launch briefing, I shared this image with the team. Why? Because building a digital product isn’t as glamorous as people think. It’s not all champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

Creating something new, even something as “simple” as a website, takes sweat, tears, and a whole lot of hustle. Think long hours, late nights, and constant pivoting as you navigate user feedback and market trends. There will be setbacks, moments of doubt, and maybe even a few tears along the way.

But despite the challenges, there’s nothing quite like seeing your vision come to life and knowing you’ve created something that solves real problems for real people.

Would I do it all again? 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝘀!

#digitalproduct #productmanagement #nevergiveup

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