Technology

What AI Got Wrong—and Right—About Fashion Colleges Near Pittsburgh

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What AI Got Wrong—and Right—About Fashion Colleges Near Pittsburgh

by Martin Goetzinger on May 20 2025
A high school counselor’s first attempt at using AI to find fashion programs near Pittsburgh went awry, but refining the prompt led to a curated list of accredited colleges offering bachelor’s degrees in fashion design and merchandising.
The Real Reason CMOs are Adopting Adobe CJA to Augment Their Snowflake or Redshift EDWs & BI Dashboards

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The Real Reason CMOs are Adopting Adobe CJA to Augment Their Snowflake or Redshift EDWs & BI Dashboards

by Martin Goetzinger on May 12 2025
Travel and hospitality leaders rely on cloud EDWs like Snowflake and Redshift, but face high costs, brittle pipelines, and delayed insights. Adobe Customer Journey Analytics (CJA) solves these with real-time ingestion, a unified XDM schema, and AI Agents—empowering brands to deliver personalized guest experiences.

Technology

The Jobs AI Can’t Touch—And Why That Matters

by Martin Goetzinger on May 12 2025
AI is transforming industries, but are we asking the wrong question? Instead of worrying about what jobs AI will replace, we should be focusing on the roles it can’t touch. Creative minds, strategic thinkers, empathy-driven professionals, and skilled tradespeople still hold the competitive edge. In this article, we explore why AI falls short in key areas like leadership, emotional intelligence, and hands-on problem-solving—and how you can future-proof your career by doubling down on the skills that make us uniquely human.
Looking Back at the Future: How Tim Urban’s 2015 AI Predictions Stack Up in 2025

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Looking Back at the Future: How Tim Urban’s 2015 AI Predictions Stack Up in 2025

by Martin Goetzinger on May 07 2025
Ten years after Tim Urban’s The AI Revolution, we assess his predictions about AI’s trajectory. While ANI thrives and AI safety research grows, we’re still unprepared for AGI and ASI, with fractured governance and short-term thinking posing serious risks.
AI Isn’t Just About Efficiency—It’s About Expansion

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AI Isn’t Just About Efficiency—It’s About Expansion

by Martin Goetzinger on Mar 20 2025
AI isn’t just about doing more with with less effort—it’s about enabling anyone to create, code, and innovate with fewer barriers. Discover how AI is redefining what "less" means and what it could mean for the future of work.
AI in Enterprise Analytics: The End of Data Crunching, The Rise of Data Strategy

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AI in Enterprise Analytics: The End of Data Crunching, The Rise of Data Strategy

by Martin Goetzinger on Feb 19 2025
For years, analytics teams inside large companies have spent far too much time wrangling data instead of actually using it. Endless dashboards, manual reporting, and cleaning up messy datasets have kept highly skilled analysts buried in low-value, repetitive work. That era is about to end. AI isn’t here to replace analytics teams—but it is here to radically change how they work. The analysts of the future won’t be data processors—they’ll be data strategists. So, what does that look like? And what happens when AI takes over the grunt work? What Enterprise Analytics Looks Like Today (And Why It’s Broken) Right now, most enterprise analytics teams operate like this: Too Much Time Spent on Data Prep – Cleaning, organizing, and structuring data eats up 80% of analysts' time instead of actual analysis. Reactive Decision-Making – Reports are built on historical data, meaning insights are always lagging behind real-time events. Over-Reliance on BI Tools – Teams are stuck in dashboards, running queries over and over instead of actually acting on insights. The result? Slow, inefficient decision-making.  AI is about to flip this entire process upside down. The Future: AI as the Analyst’s Co-Pilot AI Cleans & Prepares Data Automatically – No more manual data wrangling. AI normalizes, categorizes, and enriches datasets in real-time, giving analysts clean, ready-to-use data. AI Generates Instant Insights – Instead of waiting on reports, AI detects anomalies, trends, and risks before anyone even asks. AI Automates Reporting – Natural language AI models can generate executive summaries and recommendations, eliminating the need for endless PowerPoints. AI Powers Real-Time Decision Making – AI isn’t just analyzing the past—it’s predicting the future. Enterprise AI will forecast trends, alert teams to risks, and suggest actions before problems occur. So, if AI is doing all of this… where does that leave human analysts? The New Role of the Enterprise Analyst AI isn’t replacing analysts—it’s elevating them. From Data Crunchers to Data Strategists – Analysts will spend less time pulling numbers and more time asking the right questions and guiding business decisions. From Reporting to Proactive Problem-Solving – Instead of analyzing what already happened, analysts will use AI-driven forecasts to shape future strategies. From Dashboard Users to AI Orchestrators – Analysts won’t just use AI—they’ll train and fine-tune it, ensuring models stay aligned with business goals. In short, the best analysts won’t be replaced by AI—they’ll be the ones who know how to use it best. Final Thought: AI Isn’t Replacing Analysts—It’s Making Them More Valuable The old model of analytics—slow, reactive, and report-driven—is dead. AI will take over the repetitive, time-consuming tasks, freeing analysts to focus on big-picture strategy, predictive insights, and driving real business impact. So, the real question isn’t “Will AI replace analytics teams?”—it’s “How are analytics teams embracing AI?” How do you see AI transforming enterprise analytics? Will analysts thrive or struggle in this new era? Drop your take below. 

Technology

The Death of UI: AI Agents Are Coming for Software’s Pretty Buttons

by Martin Goetzinger on Feb 13 2025
Let’s cut to the chase: the user interface (UI) as we know it is on life support. For decades, software companies have poured billions into crafting sleek buttons, flashy dashboards, and “intuitive” designs. But here’s the harsh truth: most UI exists because software is too dumb to understand what you actually want. Enter AI agents. They’re not just tweaking the game—they’re burning the rulebook. Why fumble through menus or type into rigid text boxes when an AI can do the heavy lifting for you? Need a report? A project update? A marketing campaign launched? Just tell your AI agent, and it’s done. No clicks. No fuss. No pretty buttons. The UI isn’t evolving—it’s becoming extinct. The Rise of Invisible Software “Agents will replace apps as the dominant interface for interacting with data.” Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO Translation? Forget opening Excel, Slack, or Salesforce. Soon, you’ll just tell an AI agent what you need, and it’ll pull the data, crunch the numbers, and execute tasks faster than you can say “dropdown menu.” This isn’t sci-fi—it’s happening now. Look at companies like xAI. Their Grok AI lets users query complex datasets in natural language, no clunky interface required. Or take Zapier’s AI automation, which connects apps and executes workflows with a single prompt. These are early glimpses of a future where software is invisible, and AI agents are the bridge between you and the results. Software giants are scrambling. Some are slapping AI “assistants” onto their bloated UIs, hoping to stay relevant. Others, like Notion, are leaning into AI-driven automation, reducing reliance on manual navigation. The smart ones know the truth: when AI takes over, the real power lies in APIs, automation, and intelligent systems—not pixel-perfect designs. Why UI Is Doomed 1. UI Exists Because Software Is Stupid Let’s be real: UI is a crutch. Drop-down menus, search bars, and icons exist to compensate for software that can’t understand your intent. Why click through 12 screens to generate a sales report when you can say, “Summarize Q3 sales and email my team”? AI agents, powered by natural language processing (NLP), get the context and act instantly. Companies like Anthropic, with their Claude model, are already making this a reality, letting users skip the UI entirely for complex tasks. 2. Backend Is King—APIs > Aesthetics When AI agents handle the front-end interaction, the backend becomes the star. The future isn’t about shiny dashboards—it’s about robust APIs, real-time data pipelines, and AI-ready infrastructure. Take Snowflake: their cloud data platform thrives because it’s built for seamless API integration, not because it has the prettiest UI. Companies sinking millions into UX design are missing the point. The winners are investing in systems that let AI agents pull, process, and act on data effortlessly. 3. The Software Industry Isn’t Ready Most SaaS companies are in denial. Their business models rely on users clicking, typing, and engaging with their UIs. If AI agents cut the UI out of the equation, entire revenue streams—think per-seat pricing or user-action-based subscriptions—collapse.  Companies like Salesforce, with their labyrinthine interfaces, risk becoming relics unless they pivot to AI-first systems. “AI doesn’t just automate tasks; it redefines how we interact with technology,” Ben Evans, venture capitalist  The Catch: Trust and Minimalist Oversight Not everyone’s ready to hand the keys to an AI agent. And fair enough—AI isn’t flawless. It can misinterpret requests or churn out errors. This is where minimalist UI comes in—not bloated dashboards, but simple oversight panels that let humans monitor and intervene when needed. Think of it like a cockpit for AI: high-level controls, not a million buttons. Companies like Coda are already experimenting with this, blending AI automation with lightweight interfaces for transparency. Real-World Proof: The Shift Is Here Customer Service: Zendesk’s AI agents handle 80% of routine support tickets via natural language, slashing the need for clunky ticketing systems. Productivity Tools: Notion’s AI can generate documents, summarize notes, or automate workflows with a single prompt, rendering traditional UI navigation obsolete. Enterprise Automation: UiPath’s AI-driven robotic process automation (RPA) executes complex business processes without users touching a single menu. The writing’s on the wall: UI is losing its grip, and AI agents are taking over. Why Traditionalists Will Get Steamrolled Clinging to UI-centric models is like betting on horse carriages in the age of cars. The software industry has a choice: adapt or die. Companies that double down on AI agents, APIs, and automation will dominate. Those obsessing over pixel-perfect designs will be left in the dust. Just as electricity transformed industries, AI agents are rewiring software. The question isn’t whether UI will die—it’s how fast. Final Call: The Future Is Agent-First The age of the pretty button is over. AI agents are here, and they’re not asking for permission. Software companies need to stop polishing their UIs and start building systems that prioritize intelligence, automation, and raw computational power. UI designers? Time to pivot to crafting AI-driven experiences or risk obsolescence. The future of software isn’t a screen—it’s a conversation. Are you ready to talk to your tech, or are you still clicking around like it’s 2005? Is UI really dead, or is this just hype? Think AI agents will rule, or will humans always need buttons? Drop your take below—let’s debate the future of software.

Technology

Real Estate Agents Are Finished: AI + Blockchain Just Made Buying a Home as Easy as Ordering on Amazon

by Martin Goetzinger on Jan 13 2025
Real estate agents are on their way out, and AI coupled with blockchain is paving the way for a revolution. Imagine listing your home in minutes with AI-generated, legally compliant listings, booking professional photography, and getting a competitive price based on real-time market data—all without a commission-hungry realtor. Buyers schedule showings through your calendar, access your home via smart locks, and submit instant offers that AI reviews against your preferences. Blockchain-powered smart contracts handle the rest, from tamper-proof listings to fraud-free closings, saving you thousands (think $30,000 on a $500K home). “The real estate industry has been coasting on outdated practices for too long,” says Elon Musk. Welcome to the future: click, buy, move—no agents, no nonsense.

Technology

VISTA Investing: The Next Billion-Dollar Shift in Venture Capital—Or Just Another Hype Cycle?

by Martin Goetzinger on Jan 08 2025
Is the traditional venture capital model about to collapse? VISTA Investing (Venture Investment in Singular Tech Agents) is flipping the script—funding individuals instead of companies and replacing bloated teams with AI-driven business agents. This new model allows one-person enterprises to scale like never before, leveraging AI to automate operations, sales, and growth. But is this the next big shift in VC, or just another hype cycle? In this article, we break down what VISTA Investing is, how it works, and whether it’s the future of startups—or the end of them.

Technology

Real-world examples of successful fan token programs

by Martin Goetzinger on Dec 17 2024
Fan tokens are the future of Fan Engagement Several sports teams and entertainment entities have successfully implemented fan token programs, leveraging blockchain technology to enhance fan engagement and loyalty. Fan Tokens (as discussed here) are enabled by blockchain technology and are digital assets that fans can purchase and trade. These tokens foster a sense of ownership and participation among fans, making them feel integral to the community. This emotional investment enhances loyalty and encourages long-term support for teams or brands. Sports Teams Manchester City: The Premier League club offers fan tokens that provide holders with discounts on merchandise and tickets, as well as participation in exclusive polls related to team decisions. Juventus: This Italian football club has a fan token program that allows token holders to engage in rewards programs, including voting on specific club decisions and gaining access to exclusive content and merchandise. Alpine F1 Team: The Formula 1 team launched its fan token on Binance, enabling fans to access merchandise signings, meet-ups, and unique NFT collections. Token holders can also participate in private sessions with the team. OG Esports: The European esports organization has a fan token that grants early ticket access, merchandise discounts, and exclusive content for fans of their Dota 2 and Counter-Strike teams. Natus Vincere (NAVI): Another prominent esports organization, NAVI offers its fans a token that enhances engagement through ticket access, discounts, and exclusive content related to their gaming teams. Entertainment Events Coachella: The famous music festival partnered with OpenSea to create a fan token offering that provides priority ticketing, early entry, and merchandise discounts for token holders. Snoop Dogg: The rapper released his album "B.O.D.R." on OpenSea using NFTs that represent unique beats and items, allowing fans to engage more deeply with his music through ownership of these digital assets. Cristiano Ronaldo: Through a collaboration with Binance, Ronaldo has launched several NFT projects that allow fans to access iconic moments from his career and participate in exclusive events related to his brand. VeeCon: Founded by 'in the now' marketer, Gary Vaynerchuck, the event is a conference-meets-festival featuring conversations with the most accomplished, ambitious, and curious thought-leaders.  Each ticket is actually an NFT that has multiple rights and rewards to attendees.   These examples illustrate how fan token programs are being utilized across various sectors to foster deeper connections between fans and their favorite teams or artists, creating new revenue streams and enhancing the overall fan experience.  As you can see by the need for VeeCon to publish a step-by-step of how to purchase a NFT ticket, there is some development that needs to happen to make this easier for the average person to partipate.   WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT? I would love to know - have you purchased NFTs, Fan Tokens, or other digital assets that have made you more loyal to a specific team?  

Technology

The End of Fiat and the Rise of the Portable Life

by Martin Goetzinger on Nov 21 2024
The world is shifting under our feet, and it’s not just the headlines screaming about inflation or debt. There’s a deeper pattern emerging—one that’s reshaping money, work, and power itself. Fiat currency, the government-backed money we’ve trusted for decades, is crumbling. In its place, a new system of “crypto rails” powered by stablecoins is taking shape. This isn’t just about digital dollars—it’s about a future where mobility defines wealth, labor, and influence. And if you’re not paying attention, you might get left behind. Fiat Is Bleeding Out Fiat currency—dollars, euros, yen—works because we all agree it does. It’s not gold, oil, or anything tangible; it’s faith in governments. But that faith is cracking: Central banks have printed over $10 trillion since 2020, diluting purchasing power globally. Inflation has outpaced wage growth in 80% of OECD countries since 2022. National debts are ballooning—U.S. debt alone hit $35 trillion in 2024, with no end in sight. In places like Argentina and Zimbabwe, locals are ditching their currencies for digital dollars to survive hyperinflation. The response? Governments and corporations aren’t doubling down on fiat. They’re building something else: crypto-native infrastructure that’s borderless, instant, and programmable. At the heart of this shift are stablecoins. Stablecoins: The New Dollar, Redefined Stablecoins like USDC and USDT are digital assets pegged to the dollar, living entirely on the blockchain. They’re not just a tech fad—they’re rewriting the rules of money. Here’s why: Instant: Transfers clear in seconds, not days. Global: Usable anywhere with an internet connection. Decentralized: Not tied to one nation’s banking system. Backed by assets: Increasingly tied to U.S. Treasury bills, offering yield in a way your bank account doesn’t. This isn’t niche anymore. Stablecoins processed over $1.2 trillion in on-chain transactions in 2024, surpassing Visa’s volume. PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify now integrate them. And governments? They’re not banning stablecoins—they’re legitimizing them. In May 2025, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty introduced the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan bill to regulate stablecoins as legal payment instruments backed by U.S. Treasuries. It sailed through the Senate in June with 82 votes. Meanwhile, the STABLE Act is gaining traction in the House, setting guardrails for these “digital dollars” (Source: House Financial Services Committee, 2025). As Hagerty said in a Senate hearing, “Stablecoins are not a threat to the dollar—they’re its next evolution” (Source: C-SPAN, May 15, 2025). Dollar Diplomacy 2.0 Stablecoins aren’t just a financial tool; they’re a geopolitical weapon. In countries like Argentina, where inflation hit 280% in 2024, or Turkey, where the lira lost 40% of its value, people aren’t waiting for banks to save them. They’re using USDC and USDT to buy groceries, pay rent, and escape currency collapse. This is necessity, not ideology. The U.S. sees the opportunity. Stablecoins extend American financial influence without embassies or armies. As Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted in a 2024 speech, “Stablecoins can strengthen the dollar’s global dominance if we regulate them wisely”. It’s dollar diplomacy for the digital age, with apps and wallets as the new ambassadors. Real Stories, Real Impact Consider Maria, a freelance graphic designer in Buenos Aires. Her clients pay her in USDC because Argentina’s peso lost half its value last year. “I can’t trust banks here,” she told CoinDesk in 2025. “Stablecoins let me save in dollars and spend instantly, anywhere.” Or take Ade, a software developer in Lagos, Nigeria, who gets paid in USDT to bypass banking fees and inflation. “It’s not crypto hype—it’s survival,” he shared on X (Source: X post, @AdeTechNG, March 2025). These aren’t edge cases. Chainalysis reports that stablecoin adoption in emerging markets grew 300% from 2022 to 2025. People aren’t choosing stablecoins because they’re tech nerds—they’re choosing them because fiat is failing them. The Portable Life: Wealth and Work Unmoored Here’s where the shift gets personal. The elites—politicians, tech moguls, think tanks—are pushing a subtle but unmistakable narrative: “Own nothing, be happy.” “Homeownership is outdated.” “Digital assets are the future.” This isn’t just rhetoric; it’s a blueprint for a world where wealth and work are untethered from place. Wealth is going mobile: Real estate ties you to one spot, subject to local laws and market swings. A crypto wallet? It moves with you, borderless and instant. Work is following suit: Remote work surged from 7% to 35% of global jobs post-COVID and keeps climbing (Source: McKinsey, 2025). AI and automation are breaking jobs into tasks—gig-based, temporary, location-agnostic. The vulnerable are stuck: If you’re in a location-tied job—manufacturing, teaching, healthcare—you’re anchored while the world goes fluid. Freelancers in Argentina or Nigeria are already living the portable life, paid in stablecoins, free from local banking traps. If wealth and work are portable, but you’re not, you’re at risk of being left behind. As tech investor Balaji Srinivasan put it, “The future belongs to those who can move—their money, their work, their lives” (Source: X post, @balajis, January 2025). Prepare for What’s Coming This isn’t financial advice or fearmongering—it’s a call to see the pattern. Fiat is leaking, and crypto rails are the new infrastructure. Laws like the GENIUS Act and platforms like PayPal are embedding stablecoins into the system. The shift is happening now. Ask yourself: How is your company preparing for a stablecoin-driven future? Are you ready to operate in a world where money and work move faster than borders? The tech is here, the laws are catching up, and the world is moving. Don’t get stuck.
Middle Managers Are F’d: How AI Agents Will Wipe Out Most of You—And How to Survive

Technology

Middle Managers Are F’d: How AI Agents Will Wipe Out Most of You—And How to Survive

by Martin Goetzinger on Oct 05 2024
Leadership books won’t save you—AI doesn’t care how many you’ve read. With AI rapidly automating decision-making, scheduling, and performance reviews, middle management is on the chopping block. But not all will be replaced—only those who fail to adapt. This article breaks down the five key shifts you must make to stay relevant in the AI era. If you want to survive, it’s time to stop managing and start leading.
AI and Job Losses: Are We Looking at This All Wrong?

Technology

AI and Job Losses: Are We Looking at This All Wrong?

by Martin Goetzinger on Aug 09 2024
Is AI really taking jobs, or are we just looking at it the wrong way? Every major technological shift—cars, the internet, automation—has eliminated some jobs but created entirely new industries in their place. AI is no different. Instead of fearing job losses, it’s time to ask: What new opportunities is AI unlocking? This article breaks down why AI is a job creation engine, not a job killer, how it’s making humans 10x more productive, and why the smartest move anyone can make right now is to start using AI before they get left behind.