Strategy-IoT: Why Am I Starting This Blog?
This blog was born out of frustration and a desire to share. Over the last five years I have attended hundreds of technology events in the areas of big data, fintech, cloud computing, cybersecurity, front and backend development, startup competitions, and hardware maker workshops and spoken to many more technology professionals, consultants, government officials, and other stakeholders in the Washington, DC area.
After the usual introductions, I often asked someone what he or she was working on and the response would range with projects from professional to personal. They would talk about what they were attempting to solve and why they were passionate about it. In cases where the project was professional, I would ask them how the project was connected to the strategic goals of their firm, business unit, nonprofit, or government agency. I would always get a long pause.
The vast majority said they did not know and the direction of their project was an educated guess based on what they thought might be relevant. A few asked, “what exactly is strategy and what does it mean?” Others said their senior leadership talked about their firm’s strategy, but it didn’t mean anything to them. In cases where personal projects were the focus, people were often working on them because they did not find their professional work to be fulfilling. The strategy discussion here was simple. They wanted to solve a real problem, feel connected, and accomplish something meaningful. So, they were doing it on their own or with other volunteers.
After more than five years, hundreds of events, and more than a thousand conversations, not one professional has been able to tell me on a basic level how their work links back to their firm’s strategy.
Zero.
In cases where I have spoken with C-level executives, they talk about trying to understand their competitive landscape and the struggle to get their message across within their organization. I can always nod affirmatively.
So, my aspirations with this blog are to start bridging the gap by articulating what business strategy is in concrete ways using non-specialized language. Moreover, it is to provide pragmatic advice using common sense, the least common of all senses. Finally, it is to interview leaders in the IoT domain, learn from them, share their insights, and have everyone gain clarity of purpose on this important topic.
Let’s get started!
