Is your business truly ready for the AI revolution, or will it be left behind?

In this episode of Built To Finish, we sit down with Armando Viteri, a seasoned executive with over 25 years in enterprise computing and a co-founder of multiple successful companies. Join us as Armando unpacks the profound ways Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the landscape for software companies and businesses at large.

Discover how AI is revolutionizing internal processes, supercharging productivity, and catalyzing a fundamental cultural shift within organizations. Armando shares his compelling prediction about the decline of traditional enterprise SaaS as AI-driven solutions take center stage, and he highlights the critical role AI plays in slashing operational costs and boosting efficiencies.

Learn about New Block, Armando's company, and their innovative, technology-agnostic approach to implementing AI in both agile startups and established large enterprises. We also delve into the potential regulatory hurdles on the horizon and explore the indispensable need for human oversight in the deployment of AI.

Finally, Armando underscores why having AI experts in the boardroom is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for navigating this monumental technological transformation. Tune in for invaluable insights that could define the future of your business!

Takeaways:

• Integrate AI into Your Company's Technology Stack and Operations: Companies should incorporate AI not only in their customer-facing products to remain competitive but also in their internal operations (like software development, marketing, and customer support) to boost productivity and reduce costs.
• For Startups, Focus on AI Solutions for the SMB Market: The enterprise space is moving towards bespoke, in-house AI solutions. Startups have a significant opportunity in developing AI-powered products for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) that lack the resources to build their own. This often involves pairing a domain expert with an AI technology partner.
• Re-skill Your Workforce with a Focus on Soft Skills: As AI handles more hard skills (like coding), the value of soft skills—such as critical thinking, communication, and emotional intelligence—will increase disproportionately. Companies should consider reskilling their workforce to adapt to this shift rather than just focusing on headcount reduction.
• Ensure Your Board Includes AI Expertise: Given the fundamental shift AI represents, companies of all sizes, especially public ones, make a strategic mistake if they don't have a genuine AI expert on their board to guide strategy and implementation, not just a management consultant.
• Prepare for the Decline of Enterprise SaaS: Businesses, particularly large enterprises, should anticipate a shift away from traditional enterprise SaaS solutions. As AI capabilities grow, companies may find it more cost-effective and efficient to develop bespoke AI agents and solutions in-house, as exemplified by Klarna replacing Salesforce and Workday with its own AI.
• Adopt a Technology-Agnostic Approach to AI Implementation: When implementing AI, avoid being locked into a single vendor's technology stack. Instead, choose solutions and partners that are technology-agnostic to ensure the best fit for specific problems, potentially combining generative AI, narrow AI, and traditional algorithms.
• Recognize AI as a Cultural Shift, Not Just a Technological One: Implementing AI effectively is more than a technology upgrade; it requires a cultural transformation within the organization. Businesses need to prepare for changes in how work is done, how decisions are made, and what roles humans play alongside AI.

Quote of the Show:

• "AI is never gonna take away your job, but somebody who knows how to use AI will be the one that takes away your job."

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armandoviteri/
• Website: https://neubloc.ai/

Ways to Tune In:

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• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-to-finish/id1781753842
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