Rebuilding or transforming an IT organization is one of the most challenging responsibilities a technology leader can take on. Whether the goal is to repair a broken team, recover from operational issues, or modernize an outdated function, success requires a mix of strategy, empathy, and disciplined execution. John Edwards wrote …
Amazing! It’s mind-blowing to reflect on how much progress Boston Dynamics has made over the past decade. I remember watching YouTube videos of their first-generation humanoid robot back in 2009 and thinking—this is the coolest thing ever. Now imagine what we’re likely to see in the next ten years. Click …
Work-life balance is a familiar concept, but in today’s world it is no longer enough. What we need now is tech-life balance. It is the healthy equilibrium between our digital lives and the real world around us. Over the past decade, I have watched technology, and especially smartphones, reshape how …
I am excited to share the launch of my wife’s Japanese food blog, EATwithOHASHI.com. Supporting my amazing wife, a mother of two and a passionate self-taught chef, as she builds her online food business has been incredibly fulfilling. Helping her share her love of Japanese cooking with the world feels …
What does 2019 hold for the retail industry? Deloitte’s latest report highlights six strategies that can help retailers strengthen their competitiveness and position themselves for long-term success. Over the past two decades, many retailers have fundamentally shifted how they invest. Instead of relying on growth through new store openings, companies …
The global luxury goods market posted solid growth in 2019, even against the backdrop of a slowing global economy. Deloitte’s Global Powers of Luxury Goods report highlights several key trends shaping the future of the industry, driven largely by digitization and the growing influence of Millennials and Generation Z. The …
I recently came across an excellent article by George Spalding on SearchCIO that captures the reality many technology leaders face on day one. He paints a very accurate picture of the first encounter between a new CIO and their internal business partners. You might expect that first meeting to revolve …
During my morning commute on the Yamanote Line, an ad from KanDenko began playing across the train car’s video screens. For the handful of us not completely absorbed in our phones, it immediately captured our attention. Before that moment, I had never heard of KanDenko. But I can say with …
This infographic provides a great comparison between the traditional operational CIO and the strategic CIO that many leading companies now need. In my experience, far too many organizations still rely heavily on operational CIOs, and the well-known 80/20 budgeting model remains the norm: 80 percent spent on maintenance and only …
Over the years, having held leadership roles in global organizations, I’ve learned a great deal about what it truly takes to manage remote teams effectively. Motivating employees halfway across the world requires a very different set of skills than managing those sitting a few desks away. It demands intentional communication, …
Google Maps has quietly evolved into one of the most influential user review and business discovery platforms in the world. While services like Yelp and Tripadvisor still hold strong positions, Google’s continued investment in Maps should give them reason to pay attention. Nearly every business on the planet is already …
I recently moved all my personal websites to DigitalOcean, and the experience has been a breath of fresh air. If I had known how seamless the process would be, I would have done it much sooner. For those unfamiliar, DigitalOcean is a cloud hosting provider built around simplicity and a …
I recently rediscovered Evernote, and I have to admit, I’ve become a bit addicted to it. After years of storing documents across multiple platforms — Dropbox, Google Drive, my personal file server, and my laptop — it became clear that I needed a more organized system. With so many digital …
One of the books on my recommended reading list is Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works by Roger Martin and A.G. Lafley. It is an insightful and practical read that I often recommend to leaders who want to better understand what strategy truly is, how it is created, and …
