What is your five percent?

What is your five percent?

Mark Strayer
Strategy, thoughts

I just finished listening to Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. A concept in the book struck me: the “95/5 rule.” In this book portion, Will discusses the balance between being “restaurant smart” and “corporate smart.” Restaurant smart means being focused on hospitality and providing exceptional experiences. Corporate smart means focusing on the processes, negotiating, and budgeting to keep your restaurants in the black. Read on to learn about the "95/5 rule" and how it can be a key concept in your product strategy.

Risky business

Risky business

Mark Strayer
emerging tech, Strategy, Org Design

The rate at which new technology comes to us is increasing daily. It can be overwhelming and exhausting to keep up, even for someone dedicated to emerging technologies. GenAI has come to dominate the zeitgeist in a short amount of time. Dedicating a team to focus on these areas is a great idea. Depending on the areas you are interested in, you might have a division with multiple teams. Let’s talk about the process of starting this up.

Let’s get risky!

A great example of "can"

A great example of "can"

Mark Strayer
GenAI, emerging tech

For those who don’t know me well, I’m an avid photographer with a deep passion for all things camera tech, particularly Fuji. This enthusiasm has led me to follow numerous podcasts and creators, with Chase Jarvis being a standout. Chase has always been at the cutting edge where technology meets creativity, exemplified by his app, book, and community “The best camera is the one that’s with you,” which actually beat Instagram to market by a year. His podcast, ChaseJarvis Live, is a favorite of mine, especially a recent episode featuring Sal Khan of Khan Academy. In this episode, Sal discusses how Khan Academy is pioneering the use of AI to personalize learning and help students improve their writing skills, showcasing an inspiring “can” approach to innovation that contrasts sharply with the more restrictive “must” mindset often seen in education.

A single word can make all the difference

A single word can make all the difference

Mark Strayer
GenAI, emerging tech, retail

I am exploring creative AI applications in business beyond automating tasks. Instead of just saving costs, think about using AI for personalized and scalable solutions. Examples include generating custom product descriptions and translating training manuals into local dialects and formats for different learning styles. The key is shifting from “must” (mandatory) to “can” (innovative possibilities) thinking. Embracing this mindset will set businesses apart, making them more innovative and competitive in their industries.

The process: The fuzzy edges of Generative AI

The process: The fuzzy edges of Generative AI

Mark Strayer
retail, emerging tech, GenAI

In my latest article, I explore the transformative impact and challenges of Generative AI (GenAI) in business processes. I contrast traditional data querying methods, where results are consistent and predictable, with the dynamic and somewhat unpredictable nature of GenAI, which allows users to interact with data using natural language. This shift introduces a ‘fuzzy’ element to project management, requiring new approaches and expectations. I emphasize the need to adapt our mental models to harness GenAI effectively, despite its inherent uncertainties.

How to lose a guy in 10 years...

How to lose a guy in 10 years...

Mark Strayer
thoughts

I have decided that the best way for me to learn about GenAI is to let my brain come up with weirder and weirder things that also entertain me and have GenAI handle it. The reason this has been effective is because it frees me up to just “see what happens” not expecting a certain result that I need to have happen.

AI bonding experience

AI bonding experience

Mark Strayer
memories

Over the holiday’s I got to say one of my favorite phrases, “I have an idea”. Just ask my team. They hear it a lot. In this case it wasn’t a big idea, it was a small one that turned into a great bonding moment for my teenage daughter and myself.

The early days...

The early days...

Mark Strayer
thoughts

When there is a big paradigm shift there is this exciting and wonderful time during the early days of the shift. Everyone knows the shift is important, but we have no context for what this shift means or what we should do with it.

The Feedback Stick

The Feedback Stick

Mark Strayer
memories

When I am working on a tough problem and trying to get something to work, there is a delicate part that happens during the early stage of maturity in the creation of a solution. There is a flicker of an idea that is being coerced into a small flame. This stage is very crucial but can be easily snuffed out by the wrong kind of enthusiasm when there is progress.

Let's Begin...

Let's Begin...

Mark Strayer

The posts on this blog will be my thoughts and memories on various wide ranging topics such as innovation, working at startups vs big companies, photography, creativity in all of its forms and anything else that compels me to start writing.

I have almost started writing these posts at least a dozen times over the years.

Fear stopped me.