Jens Rassloff’s Post

Congratulations Samir and team. What a great journey.

I often hear about the tech #talent shortage and the lack of #AI skills from technology firms, start-ups, professional services firms, and corporates. But there’s hope😊: There is highly educated and motivated tech talent around the world, and more than 6.500 top consultant and developers are part of the Sonata team. Therefore, I'm thrilled to be working with Samir Dhir and his team on Sonata’s overall strategy, go-to-market approach, and innovative solutions. Together, we're ready to tackle the challenges and make a significant impact.

Digital Cows Yesterday, at the open farm day in Lower Saxony, Germany, I stepped out of my usual “digital bubble” and unexpectedly entered a new one. I never imagined that #digitaltransformation had already taken place on the neighbouring dairy farm in my hometown. I had simply never taken the opportunity to look behind farm gates and barn doors. It was a fascinating experience, with some highlights including: - Wearable Technology: Smart collars and ear tags monitor the health of the cows, activity levels, and reproductive status in real-time. These devices track vital signs, detect illnesses early, and monitor feeding patterns. - Automated Milking System: A robotic milking machine allows cows to be milked automatically. These systems also collect data on milk yield and quality. - Sensors and IoT Devices: Sensors placed in barns and on equipment monitor environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, and air quality. - Precision Feeding: An automated feeding system uses the data to provide precise amounts of feed tailored to individual cows' needs, improving milk yield. Thanks to Hof Bißmeyer for offering a glimpse into a very different digital transformation journey. #osnabrück

The Battle for AI Supremacy - and what it means for #Start-ups The competition between Google and OpenAI heated up massively as both announced major updates to their AI assistants last week. OpenAI struck first on Monday, debuting its new flagship model, #GPT-4o. On Tuesday, Google announced new tools, including a conversational assistant called #GeminiLive and an upcoming "do-everything" AI agent, set for release later this year. These impressive updates highlight the rapid pace of innovation and investment in #AI. They also demonstrate that the firms are willing to roll out the technology quickly, no matter what. Therefore, it was not much of a surprise when OpenAI’s co-founder and chief scientist, Ilya Skutskeva, who was known to question Sam Altman’s ambition to deploy AI quickly, announced on Wednesday that he was leaving the firm. For AI start-ups, this is a challenging landscape. The latest developments show how quickly major players can introduce new functionalities, often competing directly with start-ups. Here's my advice: 1.    Avoid Generic Features: Don't create solutions that can be easily replicated by giants like OpenAI, #Microsoft, or Google. Their vast resources and distribution networks can easily outcompete you. Be thoughtful and self-critical about whether your innovation truly surpasses that of these multi-billion-dollar companies. 2.    Focus on Specific Domains or Verticals: Instead of developing broad applications, concentrate on domain- and industry-specific solutions where you have deep expertise. Offer robust end-to-end business or consumer SaaS offerings. This differentiation adds substantial value that generic solutions can't easily replicate. Baseline technology will likely be outperformed by the hyperscalers and platform players. By targeting specific markets and leveraging domain knowledge, you can develop specialized AI solutions that maintain relevance and a competitive edge. 3.    Embrace the Challenge: Stay close to platform players by participating in their programs and accelerators (I know, it can be cumbersome). It's better to be aware of their activities than to be caught off guard. Amid all this, it was almost lost that on Tuesday, #Anthropic’s AI assistant #Claude became available in Europe. It will be interesting to watch what next steps Amazon Web Services (AWS) will take over the summer. coparion David Zimmer Christian Schulte https://lnkd.in/e3t_ECNt https://lnkd.in/eCXs_TFT https://lnkd.in/eg_9hhHg https://lnkd.in/eKfC8VB5