VI #051: Driving Business Value With Engineering and AI in the New Year

Read time: 3 minutes

Working in the tech industry, there's a simple truth that we often gloss over:

Every significant achievement is hard.

I’m not talking about achievements that may come from hustle culture often glamorized in tech and startup circles.

Rather, about choosing your brand of 'hard' - realizing that each path has its challenges, and that prioritizing and investing in engineering initiatives that truly maximize long-term customer value and sustainable competitive advantage for your company is key.

Why do many organizations shy away from the tough challenges?

Perhaps it’s because we’re conditioned to expect seemingly quick, smooth success, the kind that’s often showcased in polished case studies and success stories in our industry news and social feeds.

But here's what I've learned:

1. Nothing groundbreaking in tech comes easily
2. It’s not just about running systems, it’s about setting new benchmarks
3. Engineering and AI aren’t just about tech and costs, they’re business game-changers

Early in my career, I worked for some large, traditional organizations where engineering tended to be relegated to a cost center.

The focus was mostly on incremental cost savings and operational efficiency, with little room for meaningful change and business impact.

Then, I reached a turning point.

I consciously moved from roles where engineering was treated more as a support act to environments where it was leading the charge as a revenue driver.

First in my own startup, then later in a special new R&D venture for a Fortune 500 B2B software company, and now working with a variety of B2B leaders to build and scale their AI-powered platforms and products.

In these roles, engineering and AI are at the heart of the operation - driving innovation and industry disruption, winning customers and industry accolades, and generating significant revenue.

This challenge is different – exciting, rewarding, and deeply personal. My hands-on engineering leadership contributions and decisions make a much more tangible impact.

As we wrap up this year, I challenge B2B leaders to reflect: What key business challenges will you focus on in the next 3 to 6 months? And how can you leverage engineering and AI to address these?

If you’re looking to avoid potential loss of competitive edge, stalled growth, or being forced to compromise on your vision, maybe it's time for a shift.

If you haven’t already, consider re-envisioning the role of engineering and AI in your organization.

As more than a cost center, and instead as a driver of business value and innovation.

For an illustrative example, consider how a strategic approach to engineering and AI could potentially help solve a handful of common B2B hurdles:

1. Scaling operations: Implementing predictive analytics and automation to scale efficiently
2. Integrating advanced tech: Developing custom strategies to seamlessly integrate AI into your existing systems
3. Customer acquisition and retention: Applying conversational AI in concert with Product-Led Growth and CRM for more personalized customer interactions
4. Adapting to market changes: Adopting agile and automated ways to quickly respond to market and customer feedback

This perspective shift reinvigorated my passion and has been instrumental in developing products that not only solve complex problems for millions of people globally but also contributed to patents, significant business growth, and hundreds of millions in revenue.

Engineering leadership is more than managing resources and keeping systems running; it's about pioneering strategies that turn tech departments into centers of innovation and growth.

And I feel fortunate to have worked with dozens of B2B leaders and teams to realize this transformation, witnessing firsthand the profound impact it can have on their businesses.

If you're interested to explore how you can amplify the business impact of engineering and AI in your organization, let’s connect.

That's all for today. Happy New Year.

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

Break free from AI and engineering bottlenecks with my help, so you and your team can zero in on business growth. Book a call here to learn more.

Photo by Rafael Garcin on Unsplash