Jimmy Wales

Brilliant to be taking to independent agencies and explain how they never need to lose a pitch every again, by using the SQREEM AI tech stack.

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The Power of NOT being perceived as a threat 😎 When Andreas Bischoff and I spoke about Lisa Moskotova and I doing a panel on traffic monetization via API, I didn’t think much of it other than being excited because I was going to be sharing the stage with someone whose knowledge complements mine and that loves tech as much as I do, which would make it a good session no matter what. But it turned out to be so much more than that… This is one of my favorite subjects and I speak about it very often, as per usual the audience was 95% male online marketers with different levels of experience on the subject. But this time it was so different and it left me thinking of what made it so!? 1) Lisa Moskotova and I have been friends for at least 10 years and know each others areas of expertise relatively well. 2) From the get go we set out to add as much value and knowledge as we could, given that we both dislike sessions that are disguised sales pitches. 3) We had fun with it. We understand that is a complex and complicated subject but also understand that there is power behind making something complicated seem simple and putting your audience at ease. 4) We are both extremely passionate about what we do and that translates to a great deal of positive energy in the room. 5) Like it or not the fact that it was just two women up there made it so unthreatening for the audience that by the second half of the session it became so interactive that we ended up running out of time. People opened up about their own experiences, their doubts, their fears, their challenges and because we were so nurturing and non judgmental: ALL FILTERS WERE OFF. It might have been one of my favorite sessions ever and if you have been following for a while you know I have a crazy amount of speaking engagements a year, so I decided to stop and try to come up with the answer to what made it different so I could share some takeaways to help us all: 1) Speak about stuff you are both, passionate and knowledgeable about. 2) Make the complex seem simple by not over complicating your explanations. 3) Try to gauge the level of knowledge of your audience so that you can adapt the complexity of your content to keep them engaged. 4) Do your best to add value to the attendees. 5) Understand the power of not being perceived as a threat and have sooo much FUN with it. Good vibes are contagious! #publicspeaking #onlinemarketing #affiliatemarketing #ceolife

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Is Paramount's Tech Transformation Just a Pipe Dream? In the ever-evolving landscape of media, David Ellison’s announcement about transforming Paramount into a tech powerhouse stirred quite the conversation. Including by me: https://lnkd.in/eBsi2xbi But as we dive deeper, several challenges emerge, casting shadows of doubt over this ambitious pivot. #1. Financial Feasibility With Paramount grappling with substantial debt and pressing financial obligations, notably hefty NFL payments, the costs of attracting top tech talent become a significant concern. Can Paramount realistically afford this tech overhaul amidst economic uncertainties and a struggling stock? The talent war isn't won on ambitions alone, especially when competitors like Google offer more stable havens. #2. Creator vs. Coder Paramount’s tech ambition, while necessary, seems at odds with maintaining the creator-friendly environment Ellison dually promised. In an era when interest rates have climbed, balancing tech innovation with creative freedom is a tightrope walk. Remember, even Netflix, once a haven for creators with its blank checks during #ZIRP, is tightening its purse strings. How can Paramount navigate these waters without the cushion of a tech giant's capital or rising stock prices? 3. Building vs. Buying Tech Infrastructure David Ellison’s plan for Paramount involves a substantial commitment to developing in-house tech capabilities, focusing on cloud services, AI, user interfaces, recommendation algorithms, and ad-serving technologies. This approach aims to differentiate Paramount from competitors and enhance user experience. However, the tech sector’s history suggests leveraging established third-party platforms could be more cost-effective and reliable. Giants like Disney have successfully integrated platforms like BamTech, while HBO initially utilized external technology before transitioning. AMC Networks similarly relies on Brightcove for streaming technologies. The pivotal question for Ellison is whether the potential benefits of custom-built solutions justify the investment and risk, especially when patching together proven third-party solutions might yield quicker and more economical results. #InEssence... These challenges are monumental, yet not insurmountable. As we watch Paramount’s narrative unfold, one thing is clear: transitioning into a tech entity is more than just a strategic pivot—it’s a gamble on the future of entertainment itself. Thoughts? #Paramount #StreamingWars #MediaTech

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The emergence of new AI assisted music creation and optimisation tools like Boomy, AI mastering tools like Masterchannel or RoEx and AI marketing tools like un:hurd music (check out our beta AI marketing assistant: https://unhurdmusic.ai), is leading to the democratisation of access to music creation and promotion for underdogs all over the world. The 3 majors + Merlin have seen their share of streams on Spotify decrease from 87% in 2017 to 74% in 2023. Of course, streams per upload are weighted in favour of major artists, but the future looks bright for independent artists looking to create and share their art. cc Goldman Sachs Music Industry Report #independentartist #musicindustryinsight #musicstartup #musictech #musicAI

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"The app can see three kinds of feeds: anything from ActivityPub, which means things like Mastodon and Threads and Pixelfed; anything from AT Protocol, which means Bluesky; and any RSS feed."

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Seeking advice for AI models/platforms to start play with (mostly for learning experience, but also for the practical use on a side project). I've got this library that parses CGA & EGA files, which can have unspecified tiling patterns. So I have to pick out which out of 4 or 5 different parsers it might be (EGA is actually a few different formats) as well as the width (and optionally height) of possible tile/sprites in a graphic (if it's not 320*200 fullscreen). So like a binary file and a couple step process involving picking which image seems to actually represent something. Do I just train something purely visual (any recs?) that can differentiate best tiles and work with that procedurally for the rest? Or something more complicated that somehow works with the different types of inputs (even the raw binary?) and trains a more complex model? Of course, then I have to figure out where to get a training model sized data set 😅

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Neutune raised KRW 2B to enhance its AI-powered music platform, Mix Audio, focusing on copyright-safe generative AI, rapid global growth, and expanding tools for seamless music creation and distribution.

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"This is why AI isn't going to be able to autonomously build integrations any time soon" I found myself chuckling on a call yesterday. We were deep in the weeds discussing the best way to translate nested/structured content, how the sequencing should go, and the impact on user experience in the app in question. We jumped between 4 different layers of concerns within two minutes of conversation. We had the joint context of the code, sure, but we also knew the intent of the code, the desired structure/best practices we wanted to follow, the shape of the target platform, the users who would be using the integration, the data structures that would be impacted by the decisions made. We made probably 4 explicit decisions and 20 implicit ones. None of that is an intractable problem for AI to solve. However, zoom out a bit... that's one node in the chain of almost infinite possible nodes. Every app and API's construction and data structure is slightly different from another. Every potential connection requires some level of empathy and consideration for UX. Sure, AI’s great at grasping _your_ codebase—and it’s already doing wonders there—but now you want it to understand your code, every other codebase, every API out there that you might connect to, the APIs that _are not_ HTTP APIs but make a big impact on user experience, your users... and every other integration you've built to date. With AI cranking out code at breakneck speed, we’re going to see a lot of shiny but fundamentally broken code flying around. The ones that stick will have a few key things: 1. A solid framework that’s easy to debug, test, and monitor 2. Humans guiding the design decisions (because, let’s face it, taste matters) 3. Product and company owners with a killer go-to-market strategy 4. (Or) a big, enthusiastic open-source community backing it In the integration space, the code that sticks around will be (as always) the code that is treated as a product to keep nurturing, shaping, and updating according to the needs of users. There are other things that matter too, but those seem like a good start. Anyway, that’s my Thursday morning hot take.

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TL, DR: Isabella Pighi and myself are proposing a panel for SXSW London 2025, aimed at discussing "The Evolution of Music Metrics in a Diversified Landscape" with our friends and industry leaders Linda Walker and Candice Morrissey. Help us to make it happen by voting here: https://lnkd.in/dVTS-gdK In an era where music consumption has exploded across diverse platforms – from traditional streaming to short-form video, user-generated content, and interactive apps – are traditional success metrics still relevant and reliable? How can we measure the power of fan engagement? How can we segment an artist’s fanbase? What emerging technologies are shaping the future of music measurement? There's much to unpack on this topic, and many angles to consider. We'll focus on critical thinking and innovative vision. Thanks for your support! #musicindustry #data #music #sxsw #london

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🔥 Bravo DeCential Media for this great piece. 👏 The sex industry has always been an early adopter of new technologies, particularly in enabling content creators to monetise and now tokenise access to their content. I love seeing powerful women choosing to enter the sextech space and making bank! 💰 ⏰ Take 5 mins of your day to watch this. 🤖 Always be open to embracing innovation and finding your own way of using the tools available. 🔥 #sextech #blockchain #womenofweb3

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Director Gary Hustwit spoke to 'The Verge' about his ever-changing documentary, the bespoke patent-pending technology that fueled its creation, and how the movie inadvertently met this AI moment and did something more ambitious by thinking smaller about generative art. #generativeart #artandscience #visualai #movies #filmindustry #movieindustry #filmmaking #ai #creative #videoediting #postproduction #generativevideo #texttovideo #artificialgeneralintelligence #aibusiness #humanemotions #humanexpression #neuromorphic #aivideo #videoproduction #technologyadvancements #cinema #artificialintelligencetechnology #ai4good #aifuture #futuretrends #futuretechnology #futureofai #technologytrends #aiguided #aiadoption #aiapplications #animation #technologyinnovation #breakthrough #aievolution #aidriven #neuralnetworks #machinelearning #aitrends #aiforall #aidevelopment #airace #airesearch #genai #generativeai #llms #agi #llm #aiagents #futuretechnology #superintelligence #humantouch #humanbehaviour #expressivebehaviors #neuromorphicapps #aiinnovation #videocreation #Hollywood #humancommunication #texttovideo #expressiveai #syntheticactors #humanlike #multimodalAI #motionpictures #digitalcontent #airevolution #digitalmedia

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This free 14-page preview—practically a whole issue from those other guys—is still available. Read the preview and plan your purchase of The Big Burn!

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In New York for fantastic investor pitches organised by London & Partners. It has been really exciting to bring our AI technology and skills to NY. HOWEVER, this post is to share a summary from a brilliant keynote by Amy Kalokerinos AKalaid which has ten key insights that all non-US companies should address before moving to the US: 1. Product market fit outside of the US does not mean it will work in the US. Tip: Partnering with a local company that has a strong base in the US is a good short cut. 2. Sales people are coin-operated, meaning they need to have all the sales material in place before they start. This includes a CRM, Analytics, Ability to A/B test, and most importantly one single brilliant deck. 3. Separated by a common language. Having a UK spelling in comms or a deck is a mistake. Localize the spell check! Brits are humble, but that doesn't work in US start ups or sales for a more agressive and competitive environment. 4. Meetings Non-US meetings might chat for an hour about personal lives, family but not get to business. This is weird in the US. Stick to 10 mins pleasantries [I'd say 5 !] and then focus on why the meeting is happening, and what the outcomes should be. 5. Hire local It's tempting to send a rep, but hiring local with proven connections is the way to go, even though it will be more expensive. 6. Sales Channels The UK uses email for 30-40% of sales comms, but the US is an omnichannel market using phone, social media, LinkedIn, conferences and warm intros, and increasingly live chat on your websites, *but* control the volume across each channel to optimise. 7. Add value to all customer interactions Default to Speeds and Feeds. Listen to customer problems, and add value such as giving a white paper, insights, invites to an event. Become a great value-add partner over and above what you're selling. 8. Time to respond. The average time to respond to a sales lead in the UK is 47 hours. In New York, this is one hour. At most! 9. If a sales person is not performing, let them go. Make the overseer of the sales person is American, as the UK managers are likely to take much longer to fire an underperformer. Tip: NYC is the sales capital of the US, and with many redundancies there are more people on the market than usual. 10. Marketing owns the message, and Sales owns the relationship. A start-up often doesn't focus on getting the marketing right for two years after starting. Needs to be much sooner! Michal Marcinik, Oana Andreea Jinga, Kaushal Shah, Timo P Kunz 🎧, Serge Milbank, Tunde Ogundipe, Phil Westcott, Joshua Wöhle, Simon Hicks, Jeremy Brassington, Dami Hastrup, Jorge Muñoz, Juan Crosby, Gauthier Van Malderen, Gori Yahaya Laura Citron OBE Amrit Kang Richa Ghai Chauhan #Startupsuccess #Salesforstartups #Entrepreneurswhoscale

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