B2B TECH MINDSET Podcast

Enrique Acuna

How businesses can leverage technology to drive growth and success.

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  1. Episode 010: Staffing - Building Resilient Teams: The Role of Learning and Growth in Human Resources

    17.04.2023

    Episode 010: Staffing - Building Resilient Teams: The Role of Learning and Growth in Human Resources

    In this episode, we delve into the world of human resources and discuss some of the best practices for hiring and team building. We cover topics such as the importance of hiring for learning ability, instead of the current technology stack, using the "beer test". Additionally, we explore the role of learning and growth in fostering a culture of resilience and adaptability.   When it comes to hiring, it's essential to find candidates with experience and skills in the current technology stack, regardless of how many years of experience they have. We discuss how technology cycles are short, and a candidate with only five years of experience might be just as qualified as someone with ten or more years of experience. We also emphasize the importance of the "beer test" as a way to evaluate a candidate's social skills and compatibility with the company culture, as long as it is used in a fair and objective way.   In the realm of team building, we highlight the significance of having backup personnel for critical roles, along with a culture of learning and growth that empowers employees to continuously learn new skills and adapt to change. We also discuss the importance of motivation and understanding psychological and neurological mechanisms in achieving team success. We emphasize that leveraging psychology and neuroscience can be an indirect way of using technology to achieve better results.

    1 Std.
  2. 31.03.2023

    Episode 07: Navigating the Challenges and Advantages of Remote Work

    In this episode, we delve into the topic of remote work, discussing its growing trend and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its adoption.    In this episode, we explore various aspects of remote work, including the importance of establishing a culture and protocols around remote work, the need for technological resources, and the significance of clear communication channels. We discuss the preference for certain functions to work remotely or on-site and the challenges of maintaining human connection and ensuring proper technology use.   From personal experience, we’ve worked in both open plan and closed office environments and have found that a small room with five to six people sitting together works best. While an open space allows me to see how other people work, it can be distracting and hinder productivity.    We share our  preference for a hybrid work model that allows me to spend time working in the office and remotely. We discuss the benefits of the social aspect of being in the office and having in-person interactions with colleagues, but also we appreciate the flexibility and autonomy that come with remote work.   We discuss the challenges of establishing connections when communicating remotely and how the expectations and tolerance for remote work have changed. We also explore alternatives to in-person interactions, such as playing video games or going on virtual walks, which may be more appealing to younger generations.

    1 Std. 4 Min.
  3. Episode 06: Unlocking the Power of Partnerships

    26.03.2023

    Episode 06: Unlocking the Power of Partnerships

    Businesses understand the growing importance of partnerships in the business world, especially with the rise of software as a service (SaaS). While some organizations prefer to handle everything in-house, many are realizing the benefits of working with external partners. This trend is slowly taking hold in Germany as well, with more and more companies using SaaS to improve their operations. However, the idea of using distribution channels to sell products is still not widely popular in many organizations. Partner relationship management (PRM) is a relatively new concept that aims to help companies manage their relationships with partners more effectively, particularly for those that offer SaaS and need to maintain relationships with enterprise customers.   It is important to have a strong understanding of a partner network and the use of a PRM tool to manage those relationships efficiently. Education and onboarding are critical to making partnerships successful. Finding partners with specialized knowledge in a niche area can increase the chances of landing deals. There is still a lot of opportunity in the market for tools that can help companies discover the right partners and understand their track record and financial stability. While such a tool may not be available yet, consultancies can assist with this research.   Understand the value of strong partnerships for businesses and invest in the right tools and resources to make those partnerships successful.

    37 Min.
  4. Episode 04: Unlocking the Power of Analytics: How to Streamline Business Processes for Success

    07.03.2023

    Episode 04: Unlocking the Power of Analytics: How to Streamline Business Processes for Success

    In this podcast, we'll be diving into the fascinating world of data and analytics. Analytics is a vast topic that covers various aspects of business, including big data, machine learning, and AI. We'll explore the different types of data that businesses generate, such as structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. Structured data is table-like information, while unstructured data includes binary data from images, video, and sound. We'll also discuss the different stages of maturity that organizations go through when working with data. The first step is descriptive analytics, followed by understanding why things are happening and making predictions based on the data. The final stage is prescriptive analytics, which tells organizations what they should do. One critical aspect of analytics that we'll cover is the importance of cleaning data before analyzing it. Data quality is critical as it impacts the accuracy of the analysis. There are different ways to analyze data quality, such as running statistics on the data. We'll also explain why it's essential to understand the quality of the information before conducting any analysis. To illustrate how mapping out business processes can help optimize and streamline operations, we'll draw on the analogy of sports teams. We'll use the example of sports betting to show how data analysis can predict underlying processes in seemingly unpredictable sports like MMA. We'll emphasize the importance of matching processes and automating systems, but we'll also note that it involves different departments, stakeholders, and responsibilities. We'll encourage you to get started with automating your processes and to think about how data can help you achieve success in your business. Join us as we explore the exciting world of analytics!

    59 Min.
  5. Episode 03: The Importance of UX/UI in B2B Applications

    27.02.2023

    Episode 03: The Importance of UX/UI in B2B Applications

    Welcome to this podcast episode where we'll discuss the power of UX design in B2B applications. As an expert in UI/UX, I'll dive into the exciting world of user experience design, emphasizing its significance in creating a positive user experience at every customer touchpoint. One of the main topics we'll discuss is the significance of fast and responsive systems that enable users to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. We'll also shed light on the common issue that B2B applications tend to have inferior UX compared to consumer applications. I'll share invaluable insights into designing UX for B2C versus B2B applications. Throughout the episode, we'll explore various approaches to testing and optimizing user interfaces in both the B2B and B2C spaces. We'll discuss the challenges of implementing AB testing and the need for a technical platform to integrate it into products. It's also essential to collect customer data for testing and optimize for different devices. As we wrap up the episode, we'll identify common mistakes made by UX designers in B2B applications and how to avoid them. We'll stress the importance of a simple and straightforward navigation system, making processes intuitive, and similar to familiar processes. We'll explore the rise of chatbots and AI-powered conversational user interfaces, which present a new challenge for designers as they are designing for interaction between man and machine. In summary, this podcast episode provides a wealth of insights and practical tips for designing exceptional UX for B2B applications. Join me to unlock the power of UX design and create a positive experience for your users.

    1 Std.

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How businesses can leverage technology to drive growth and success.