I was recently asked what I have been doing lately around the Austin startup scene. Life has been busy for sure as 2018 starts to warm up with activity and SXSW 2018 is just on the horizon.
Here is a summary of the places I am mentoring and talks I’m giving. I was recently asked to submit three ideas for training people to help them prepare themselves for employment in the coming decade of AI. I have included those outlines because I plan to use some of those ideas for a book proposal to Apress and I use the topics and concepts in my mentoring and consulting with businesses.
I Mentor in Austin at:
Capital Factory and Techranch.com. You can find me on both of their SLACK systems. My Capital Factory mentor page is here.
Summary of recent invited talks
Selling and Presenting your Ideas
Summary: Whether you are hired full time with a firm, going for an entrepreneur startup or entering the gig economy you need to practice the art of delivering your ideas. There are technology challenges and personal growth challenges to address. Here are some of the topics I enjoy discussing and helping teams improve.
Summary of presentation approaches past, present, and future
Learn the basics of selling ideas, products, and technology
Developing an Elevator Pitch and how it evolves in time
How to present your self and relate to any size audience (one and on and one on many)
Uncovering your roadblocks in being authentic in your delivery
Discovering the power of persuasion in the art of conversation
Dealing with Pressure and time constraints
Class projects with personal feedback
How to prepare for the impact of future technologies on individuals and society and business growth
Summary: This is an overview of all the key technologies for the coming decade of rapid change. I have been engaging in conversations with people to look for themes and new perspectives to help people understand the impact of the technologies society. Of course, startups and existing businesses are keen on finding a new competitive edge with this new Digital Transformation 2.0 wave that is coming. However, I want to know where the balance is between profit and social responsibilities.
Historical perspectives of the Internet and the changes coming in the next decade
Explanation of why the rate of change is so fast now and how it impacts us
Overview of technologies, challenges, and opportunities for the near future:
AR/VR
Blockchain – currency protocols and ledgers
Data science and BigData
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Group discussions – how will rapid technology Impact you, your business and society and lifestyles
Group discussions – how to be employed in the come age of AI
Learn how Podcasting can Improve your Visibility and Credibility for startups
Summary: The key outcome is for each person to understand why audio and video podcasting is critical to creating and growing market visibility for a startup, gig or on-going business. I have produced over 1300 shows since the late 1990’s. Heck back then it wasn’t even called podcastings, just audio interviews. I have developed a number of marketing and sales strategies to help businesses find a competitive edge by creating content that is closely tied to sales strategies. I cover the following topics as time permits:
The history of podcasting, current resurgence, and future relevance
The importance of acoustics, music and sound effects on quality
The technology – recording, editing, and posting
The art of the interview – with and without recording equipment (critical)
Podcasting show themes and storytelling – class examples
Thought leadership as a content strategy for entrepreneurs
How to use podcasting in social media to broaden your visibility
How to get invited on other shows to amplify your visibility
How to interleave your podcasting strategy carefully with sales and marketing strategies
Tom