When Others See Your Work Before You Do
English
One of the fun things about working for yourself is that people show up with work you never asked for. Often, it is work in an area you had never even considered.
The other day, an old acquaintance reached out and asked, โCould you advise companies on whether an AI investment is actually worth making?โ
I am focused on building products, so this was not something I had ever thought about doing. But the more I considered it, the more I realized that I might be unusually well suited to it.
For the past 17 years, I have worked around the decisions companies make about major IT investments. I have also been on the other side of the table, selling that technologyโincluding AI. I know how the sellers think. I know the playbook. And I understand where Big Tech companies are trying to steer their customers over the long term.
I also probably understand AI, and the products Big Tech companies sell around it, better than most of their salespeople. That comes partly from having built products inside one of those companies. It also comes from what I do now: I still build and run real services on cloud platforms. My understanding is not just based on slides and product announcements. I use this technology to make things.
Then there is the internal politics of a large company. Who wants what? What does each person want to be recognized for? What is really behind a proposal that is presented as an โAI investmentโ? I can look past the technology and analyze the incentives, power dynamics, and organizational structure shaping the decision.
Another skill I had not given much thought to is explaining complex technology in plain language. If an AI investment has a problem, I can tell business leaders what is missing and why it is unlikely to produce the result they expect. They do not need to settle for a vague explanation that something is โtechnically difficult.โ
Of course, what I really care about is building products. Advisory work would remain something on the side. Still, if people need it, and a small amount of my time can help them use technology well, I might be open to doing some of it.
I had never thought of offering this kind of advice as a service. Someone else saw the value in my experience before I did. That is one of the fun things about running my own company: sometimes other people discover what I can offer before I do.
ๆฅๆฌ่ช {#japanese}
ใใชใผใงๅใใใจใฎ้ข็ฝใใฎใฒใจใคใฏใไป่ ใๅๆใซไปไบใๆใฃใฆใใฆใใใใจใใใซใใใใใใใใใฎไพ้ ผใใ่ชๅใงใฏใใพใ่ใใฆใใใชใใฃใ้ ๅใใ็ช็ถใใฃใฆใใใ
ใใฎๅใใๅคใ็ฅใๅใใใ็ช็ถใใไผๆฅญใฎAIๆ่ณใฎๆฏ้ใๅคๆญใใใขใใใคใถใผใใงใใชใใ๏ผใใจ่จใใใใ
ใพใใใใกใใฏใใญใใฏใใไฝใใใจใซ้ไธญใใฆใใใฎใงใใใใชไปไบใใใใชใใฆ่ใใใใจใใชใใฃใใใใ ใใใใใ่ใใฆใฟใใจใๆๅคใจ่ชๅใซๅใใฆใใใจใใใๅคใใ
ใพใใใใใพใง17ๅนด้ใไผๆฅญใฎITๆ่ณใฎๆๆๆฑบๅฎใ่กใใใ็พๅ ดใซใใใๅๆใซใใใฎITใๅฃฒใๅดใงใใใฃใใAIใใใกใใใใฎใฒใจใคใงใใใใ ใใใๅฃฒใๆใไฝใ่ใใฆใใใใใใฎๆใฎๅ ใฏใ ใใใใใใใBig Techใใฉใฎใใใชๆฆ็ฅใง้กงๅฎขใๅใใใๆ็ต็ใซใฉใใธๆใฃใฆใใใใจใใฆใใใฎใใ็่งฃใงใใใ
ๆฌกใซใAIใใฎใใฎใซใคใใฆใใใใใใBig Techใฎๅคใใฎๅถๆฅญใใ็่งฃใใฆใใใBig Techใฎใฝใชใฅใผใทใงใณ็พคใซ้ขใใฆใใใใใใ่ชๅใฎใปใใ่ฉณใใใใพใใใใใฏๆใใใฎไธญใฎไบบใจใใฆๅฎ้ใซใใฎใฅใใใใใฆใใ็ต้จใซๅ ใใฆใไปใใฏใฉใฆใใใฉใใใใฉใผใ ใฎไธใงใตใผใในใๅฎ้ใซไฝใ็ถใใฆใใใใจใๅคงใใใ
ใใใฆใๆ่กใ่ฃฝๅใ ใใงใฏใชใใๅคงไผๆฅญใฎไธญใงๅใใฆใใๆฟๆฒปใๆจฉๅใ่ฆใใใจใใงใใใ่ชฐใไฝใๅฎ็พใใใใฎใใ่ชฐใไฝใซใใฃใฆ่ชใใใใใใฎใใ่กจ้ขไธใฏใAIๆ่ณใใจๅผใฐใใฆใใๆๆๆฑบๅฎใใๅฎ้ใซใฏไฝใ่ๆฏใซใใฆใใใฎใใใใใใๅ้ขไฟใๆง้ ใพใงๅซใใฆๅๆใงใใใ
ใใใซใ่ชๅใงใฏใใพใๆ่ญใใฆใใชใใฃใใใฉใ่ค้ใชใใฏใใญใธใผใๅนณๆใช่จ่ใซๅใฟ็ ใใฆใไป่ ใซ่ชฌๆใใใใจใใงใใใไพใใฐใใใAIๆ่ณใซๅ้กใใใๅ ดๅใๅใซใๆ่ก็ใซ้ฃใใใใจ่จใใฎใงใฏใชใใไฝใๆฌ ใใฆใใฆใใชใๆๅพ ใใไบๆฅญๆๆใซใคใชใใใชใใฎใใใใใธใในๅดใซใใใใ่จ่ใง่ชฌๆใงใใใ
ใใกใใใๅใฎไธญๅฟ็ใช่ๅณใฏใใใใพใงใใญใใฏใใไฝใใใจใซใใใใใใใไปไบใฏใใใฎๅจ่พบใใ็ใพใใๆดพ็็ใชใใฎใงใใใใใใงใใ่ชฐใใซๆฑใใใใ่ชๅใๅฐใ็จผๅใใใใจใงใใฏใใญใธใผใใใพใไฝฟใใใใฎใงใใใฐใๅคๅฐใใฃใฆใฟใฆใใใใใใใใชใใ
่ชๅใงใฏไปไบใซใใใใจใๆใฃใฆใใชใใฃใใใจใใไป่ ใฎ็ฎใ้ใใจไปไบใจใใฆ็ซใกไธใใฃใฆใใใ่ชๅใ็ฉใฟ้ใญใฆใใ็ต้จใฎไพกๅคใใ่ชๅใใๅ ใซไป่ ใ่ฆใคใใฆใใใใใจใใใใใใใใไบๆณๅคใฎใใจใ่ตทใใใฎใใ่ชๅใงไผ็คพใใใฃใฆใใฆ้ข็ฝใใจใใใ ใจๆใใ