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5 AI Trends Every CEO Must Act On
Earlier this year, I shared takeaways from Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report, which showed how AI is reshaping business at a macro level. Building on that, Google Cloud’s 2025 AI Trends highlights five forces that will directly impact companies in the year ahead.
AI is no longer experimental. It is restructuring markets, reshaping customer expectations, and redrawing competitive boundaries. Here are five AI trends CEOs are preparing for now:
Only the Paranoid Survive: Three Steps to Being a Disruptive Innovator
Thu, Jan 11, 2018 — There is a much-ballyhooed Harvard Business School case study which examines the competition between athletic shoe companies Nike and Reebok -- before Nike became the behemoth it is today, and when Reebok was a tiny company making its first attempts at scaling up. Nike, at the time, was a “runner’s runner” shoe, aimed at the hardcore, “rise-at-5 a.m.-and-run-like-the-wind” customer. Nike’s signature advertising visual at the time was very compelling: The perspective, down the length of a deserted Manhattan avenue in the early morning hours. A glimmer of the sunrise peeked around one building; no traffic or people were around – with the exception of a lone runner, a tiny figure against the cityscape. It characterized what Nike stood for – hardcore training -- and that famous ad resonated hugely with Nike users. It was about the discipline and fulfillment of running. Shoe comfort at the time, while adequate, clearly was secondary.
Sold, not Bought: The Marketing of Unfamiliar Solutions
Mon, Nov 20, 2017 — Several years ago I met Davis, an executive in Ohio, who segmented his product lines into “Bought, not Sold” and “Sold, not Bought.” “Bought” products, he said, were familiar to prospective buyers. They had self-diagnosed what they needed and self-prescribed a product solution for that need. Often, they’d previously purchased a product in the category. By contrast, a “Sold” product presented an unfamiliar solution—so the prospect couldn’t self-prescribe, and may not have self-diagnosed. In fact, their need could be latent and wouldn’t be recognized without prompting.
Turn it Around: Apply the Visions of a Microsoft CEO to Your Business
Mon, Nov 13, 2017 — I just finished the new book, “Hit Refresh,” written by Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft. More than just a memoir, the tome is a mid-course report of Nadella’s learnings about life and leadership, and how he is applying these lessons in specific ways to turn around Microsoft. Nadella likens the techniques in “Hit Refresh” to those of refreshing a web page – every time you do it, some of the content stays, and some is replaced by new content. Repeated refreshes over time creates a whole new web page, just as repeatedly learning, and then applying these lessons to our lives, creates a more capable, up-to-date person.
Got a Big B2B Deal On the Line? Three Questions to Ask
Mon, Oct 23, 2017 — Consider this situation: A large enterprise service firm – we will call them “Steady Company” - spent two years cultivating a Fortune 500 prospect. Their selling approach was professional, persistent, and “by the book.” They asked penetrating questions to fully understand their prospect’s needs. They had a “top-to-top” of the key players from both sides. They identified decision makers at each level, and crafted detailed execution plans to support their bid. They understood the competitive bidder’s relative advantages and disadvantages.
Are You a “Disruptor” in Your Market? Three Questions to Ask Right Now
Thu, Sep 14, 2017 — January 15, 2009, was a brisk, cold, winter day in New York City. Everyone in the “Big Apple” was going about their business as US Airways Flight 1549 lifted off from LaGuardia Airport Runway 4 at 3:24 p.m. on its way to Charlotte, NC. We all know the story of what happened next – the “Miracle on the Hudson,” with all souls on board rescued, despite a nearly impossible situation for the pilots.
Are You A “Level 5” Leader? How Cool Confidence Can Foster Sales Success
Fri, Aug 25, 2017 — On a recent sojourn, I had time between flights, so I joined the throngs of fellow travelers who had taken up residence in one of those oversized rocking chairs. As I sat working – and rocking – I observed the airport’s massive food court, which featured an amalgam of fast casual and upscale restaurants. One of the restaurants, in particular, seemed to have the magic formula to attracting throngs of hungry travelers – despite the fact that it was a well-known fast casual concept with thousands of units around the world. Though it was abuzz with activity, the employees were doing a great job of keeping up with the pace. Napkins were perfectly lined up; the counter was spotless; and the employees genuinely were smiling. Everything seemed tidy and welcoming. When customers approached, they received a greeting that far exceeded the expected for such an establishment. Even from a distance, you could see the employees smiling, the customers smiling, exchanging a few pleasantries, wishing each other to have a great day.
Profitable, Recurring Revenue Streams – Part 4
Tue, Aug 15, 2017 — Transitioning Your Business Model to Grow Your Business-as-a-Service More and more companies are realizing that transitioning their businesses to as-a-Service models is the answer to driving higher growth, more profitable, and stable revenue streams. Welcome to the fourth and final part of this series: In Part 1 of this series, you learned how to know if it's time to think about embracing an as-a-Service model In Part 2 we dove deeper into what an as-a-Service model is and discovered how ready your company is to transition to one In Part 3 we touched on how to define strategic goals, position, and create a go-to-market plan that is most relevant to an as-a-Service offering. If you haven’t read the previous parts, you might want to take a quick look before returning here. In this installment, we will discuss the key metrics to track and capabilities to nurture to ensure you execute this transition successfully – along with a few tips and tricks I have learned (often the hard way) over the years.
A Bullet Train to Profitable Growth: Four Questions to Ask Now
Mon, Jul 24, 2017 — In Japan, the Shinkansen Bullet Trains have carried more than 10 billion passengers, through one of the most densely populated regions in the world, since 1964. In that 53-year span, there have been ZERO fatal accidents on the railroad. How is this unblemished safety record possible, given the high speed, high stakes environment in which the trains operate?
Profitable, Recurring Revenue Streams - Part 2
Fri, Jul 7, 2017 — Transitioning Your Business Model to Grow Your Business-as-a-Service More and more companies are realizing that transitioning their business to an as-a-Service model is the answer to driving higher growth and more profitable and stable revenue streams. In Part 1 of this article series, you learned how to know if it's time to think about embracing an as-a-Service model.