Rajiv Tikoo

Have you ever heard of a $20 cup of coffee? The Ain't Normal Cafe in Oakland is serving up just that. This reminded me of Madhavan Ramanujam's talk on value-based pricing. He asks the audience if they like coffee, then how about at $20 to reinforce the idea. According to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, there's one lingering question: Can a $20 cup of coffee ever be worth it? Well, that depends on who you ask :) Check out the article and let us know your thoughts! #Pricing #ValueBasedPricing #Coffee #AintNormalCafe

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Strong economy driving growth in holiday sales – approaching $1T for 2024 season -  Steady sales growth expected for 2024 holiday season, according to NRF - National Retail Federation (10/15) - https://lnkd.in/ejGQC6R4  - #holidaysales #holidaysalesgrowth #2024holidaysales

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AI leaders have a crucial chance to address risks now and strengthen governance practices before playing catch-up to regulations, notes Kjell Carlsson, Ph.D. of Domino Data Lab. In a recent VentureBeat article, he shares his perspective on California's AI bill veto and why proactive governance is key to the future of AI innovation. Learn more about this addressing this opportunity: https://gag.gl/4WCTkP #AI #AIGovernance #AIInnovation #DataScience

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Great Place To Work® and Fortune magazine have honored Five9 as one of this year's Best Workplaces in the Bay Area. 🌟 This is Five9's second time being named to this prestigious list, coming in at No. 17. Earning a spot means that Five9 has surpassed rigorous benchmarks, establishing itself as one of the best workplaces among companies headquartered in the San Francisco Bay region. Learn more: #Five9 #BestPlacesToWork #CustomerExperience

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In our latest podcast episode, "Leadership Communications," JT, Bryan, and I dive into the heart of effective communication within organizations. We also talk about the challenges of using a stick painted orange 🥕! Here are four key takeaways: 💡 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭: Empathic leadership and honest communication transform organizational culture, promoting trust and inclusion, especially during acquisitions or returning to the office. 💡 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐲: Addressing employee concerns with empathy prevents small issues from escalating, enhancing long-term engagement and loyalty. 💡 𝐕𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: Leaders who communicate with authenticity foster a sense of belonging and alignment with organizational goals, driving engagement and business outcomes. 💡 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: Teaching junior leaders effective communication strategies builds a culture of transparent and empathetic leadership, ensuring sustainable success. Effective communication is about connecting deeply, leading with empathy, and demonstrating integrity. Tune in to our latest episode to explore these themes and more. #leadership #communication #empathy #trust #culture #podcast

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Omnichannel retail has complex tax challenges. From outdated systems to high transaction volume, retailers struggle. Automation & "edge" computing can help with data overload & tax accuracy. https://lnkd.in/g8MdQ8Ss

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We still feel the excitement from Microsoft Ignite - Yvonne Muench, Senior Director of Marketplace, who joined us recently in Chicago. Yvonne is leading the charge for ISVs with ISV Success and Marketplace Rewards. In our discussion, she provided exciting updates: - New investments to help ISVs embed AI into their apps. - Expanded readiness resources and benefits. - Cash incentives - ISV Success and Marketplace Rewards. At Ultimate Partner, we have called this the "Marketplace Moment", transforming how ISVs grow their businesses by accelerating deals, increasing deal size, and opening doors to C-suite conversations by leveraging customer MACC budgets. It’s a game-changer. To learn more: Subscribe to our YouTube - https://lnkd.in/eSyZ3-ZH Find our Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e4BCMxQ3 Listen to the Podcast: https://lnkd.in/ejU4Tr4z #MicrosoftIgnite #ISVSuccess #MarketplaceRewards #UltimateGuideToPartnering

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“Thirty-seven percent of organizations surveyed in Gartner’s annual CIO and Technology Executive Survey this year said they are using generative AI in production, up from 9% last year.”   Visa's strategy emphasizes transforming employee roles through AI rather than reducing headcount. President of Technology Rajat Taneja asserts that the company invests in AI to enhance productivity and security, not to replace jobs. While Visa is restructuring and laying off about 1,400 positions globally, this is not due to AI displacing workers. Instead, AI tools are intended to handle routine tasks, allowing employees to focus on more complex responsibilities. Visa envisions a future where employees oversee multiple AI agents, managing eight to ten digital assistants each. This approach promotes collaboration between humans and AI, encouraging workers to adapt and develop skills to leverage technology effectively. With $3.3 billion invested in AI over the past decade, Visa is committed to evolving its workforce, positioning AI as an augmentation tool that fosters innovation and strengthens security rather than replacing jobs. #generativeAI #AIagents #AIskills #AItransformation #employment #AI

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If you run your business on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, or Microsoft cloud, you need to read Ken Weinreich's blog. He's been through every imaginable combination of operational challenges. Ken and I teamed up to create a totally new Managed Services product for Bespin Global. We're teaming up with the best tools and services partners in the business. From Datadog to Upwind Security, ReluTech, Concierto, CrowdStrike, HashiCorp, OpenAI, Freshservice, Snowflake, Databricks. Our new philosophy is that it's our job as a vendor to keep up with our most cloud-savvy customers. No more telling them what to do, we'll adapt our service to match their tools, their procedures, and then bring expertise to fill in the gaps.

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“Generative AI’s greatest potential is not replacing humans; it is to assist humans in their individual and collective efforts to create hitherto unimaginable solutions. It can truly democratize innovation.” HBR - How Generative AI Can Augment Human Creativity; Eapen, Finkenstadt, Folk, and Venkataswamy, 2024 #humancreativity #generativeai #ai #futureofwork

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I have to talk more about the Walmart Roblox physical marketplace powered by Sawhorse Productions Nic Hill As you know since 2009 I have being in the space of immersive technologies, and the promise of connected products was out there since then. But enabling the right infrastructure is never easy - specially thinking of mass adoption. Innovation becomes utility when it solves a problem for many, and it is adopted by a multitude with the minimum friction possible. Walmart Discovered phygital marketplace is a bespoke use case where a powerful retail giant take the lead in using games to empower communities, and eventually create a path for physical products consumption. It is straight forward experience, part of the world of Gen-alphas on Roblox. Some personal take aways from this launch: • games are major tool for comms with next gen • bring your product inside a tool your customers like •leverage your community power •expand e-commerce behind the scrolling 2D standards •make it fun! Well done to all involved and once again, special kudos to Justin Breton 🌸

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Excellent advice from Kjell Carlsson if you want a quick takeaway from the article below: “ Enterprise leaders should seize this opportunity to proactively address AI risks and protect their AI initiatives now. Rather than wait for regulation to dictate safety measures, organizations should enact robust AI governance practices across the entire AI lifecycle: establishing controls over access to data, infrastructure and models, rigorous model testing and validation, and ensuring output auditability and reproducibility."

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Sharing practical insights for adopting and scaling AI in the enterprise-accomplished !!Thanks Jason Cherok for the invite.

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Education is key in reducing #checkfraud. It's good to see this article in TIME Magazine, explaining #FedNow payments to readers and also including a section about #check #fraud. While the article says "The average American writes just one check a year, down from 3 in 2016, according to a Federal Reserve survey," we in the industry know that still equates to millions of chances for fraudsters, and many millions of dollars in losses for banks. Check out TIME to see how the general public is hearing about FedNow. Also, here's the link for the Fed survey referenced, "2024 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice": https://lnkd.in/eCz_D-EG TIME Magazine: https://lnkd.in/efn2qkfh

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Looking for ways to enhance #CustomerExperience? Start by seeking efficiencies within your own organisation. Mark your calendars for August 28th to discover how Certinia has transformed Govplace’s daily operations.

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AI leaders have a crucial chance to address risks now and strengthen governance practices before playing catch-up to regulations, notes Kjell Carlsson, Ph.D. of Domino Data Lab. In a recent VentureBeat article, he shares his perspective on California's AI bill veto and why proactive governance is key to the future of AI innovation. Learn more about this addressing this opportunity: https://gag.gl/4WCTkP #AI #AIGovernance #AIInnovation #DataScience

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Human-sounding #AI can plan, help book your travel. But can you trust it? Booz Allen Hamilton SVP Will Healy discusses Recreation.gov and working with the government to adopt secure and reliable AI to improve user experience. USA TODAY

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