In the hottest (literally) episode yet... Paul & Lidia talk about working in the heat, and whether or the British will ever understand the concept of actual summertime and Paul fails to remember Tommy Cooper's name. They then get into the best (and worst) gym workouts and the challenges of building habits around a busy lifestyle. Especially when travelling. There is the inevitable reference to Atomic Habits and when a priority isn't actually a priority.

Lidia revisits her yearly theme (more on that way back in Episode 2)

They then dive into the main topic, which is what the function of being a Presales professional is, and what it should and shouldn't be. Why bringing a deal to closure is like landing a plane with the Solutions Engineer and Account Executive as co-Pilots. The various different sporting analogies (note: Quarterbacking the team doesn't work outside the US). The need to see the team as equal, and how life changes when you move from being the field to being in a leadership role.

And finally... AI therapy, why Microsoft's Co-Pilot recall was recalled and another rallying cry for AI to "do the boring stuff".

Intro - 00:00:05

Workouts & Habits - 00:05:45

What is Presales function? - 00:25:02

AI therapy - 01:20:52

Links:

Atomic Habits

Co-Pilot Recall

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Apple did it. They finally did it. They’ve also been doing it for sometime but only know is anyone paying attention because they used the acronym. Lidia and Paul react to the Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). What they’re excited about, what they’re perhaps somewhat skeptical of (spoiler: it’s all the creative stuff).

It’s then Paul’s turn to indulge in a pet topic of “why do we get what we think technology will be” or is there too much influence taken from science fiction in technology advances?

There’s another edition of AI therapy… and a diversion into the topic of a transgressive musical.

• https://www.theverge.com/24171190/apple-wwdc-2024-biggest-announcements
• iPad crush ad
• AvenueQ
• Le Voyage dans la Lune
• San Bernadino
• Baudrillard

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The episode in which we sort of react to and review Demofest with a promise to come back with a deeper dive once they’ve both actually had an opportunity to review the content(!).

They share stories of attempting to bend the will of hotel room technology. Whether or not it’s overkill to bring your own router when travelling and how to be a nightmare customer for a streaming service.

What is the future of Presales? What should it be called (and what’s wrong with some of the current favourites), the dangers of existing in a bubble, a reality check on whether or not the tech sales revolution is here, or coming, or may be about to happen…

And finally there is this week's edition of “AI Therapy” in which Paul’s Simpsons knowledge fails him, we talk about why AI has so far failed to live up to what we might have hoped and our hopes and dreams for WWDC and beyond

This also features a Wandering Tech Podcast first… a Lidia rant.

Time stamps

0:22 - How to hack a hotel room

12:10 - Demofest review

23:10 - More Demofest, and the future of Presales

52:59 - AI Therapy

• Demofest
• Scarlat Johnasson controversy with AI
• Microsoft co Pilot computers

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In an unashamedly nerdy outset to episode 11, Paul & Lidia discuss why QWERTY is not the way and how having “adult money” makes present buying difficult. They then reminisce about past roles and server rooms in summertime, rose-tinted glasses on previous roles, the ups and downs of working in IT and networking, why we are in Presales (spoiler: money!), productivity and neurodivergence and whether Paul has found an actual good use of AI??

Then, Demofest! If you’re listening on release day then Demofest 2024 starts TODAY - we share our own experiences of presenting, the first time Paul met Lidia when she had been begging people to close the door, why sometimes even the best-laid plans get thrown out in favour of what feels right and some recommendations for Demofest. And finally, why approaching conferences should be like music festivals.

• Keychron K4
• iqunix
• Sense cup
• Coffee Carafe
• IoW hovercraft
• Motion
• ToDoIst
• Zapier
• Demofest

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OK, fine. We will talk about AI.

A surprising tech-positive conversation between Lidia and Paul on a still very hot topic of AI and machine learning. From the day-to-day use, through the ethics, through to the future and where they see it fitting in the tech landscape. Paul led the conversation with a couple of hot takes fresh out of the oven. Lidia is bursting at the seams to talk about private AI and the role networking and infrastructure has to play in all of this. Also, some really serious talk was had about the future of the podcast and how and when guests will make an appearance.

Also, this is episode 10! Hip, Hip, Hurrah!

• Feedbin
• Alice Egan - Linkedin / Newsletter
• Plato's table and the Theory of Forms
• We the SEs podcast
• Humane AI pin - verge review
• Samsung Bans ChatGPT Among Employees After Sensitive Code Leak
• The image we were discussing on the speed of things
• Motion
• Episode 5 - The One All About Productivity

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What exactly is the difference between small, medium and big internet? And which one is the right place to use to book flights? Lidia and Paul also share their views on the seeming decline of LinkedIn (and a push towards AI generated content), the best way to read the internet and why YouTube shorts have been the downfall of them both. They then share experiences of reading, why physical books are better (at least according to Paul) and how the approach to reading for pleasure vs reading for information differs in more ways than you might think. Finally, they talk about whether or not the "soft life" is something that should be strived for, whether burnout in tech is a new phenomenon and how to cultivate a healthy relationship with your job.

• Blinkist
• The Wheel of Time
• Brandon Sanderson
• Haruki Murakami
• Paul Auster
• Terry Pratchett
• Twilight
• The Sadness trailer (WARNING!)
• The Soft Life

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In episode 8, Lidia and Paul tackle wiggling cursors, both share their most dreadful Presales horror stories/customer calls and then spend the majority of the episode trying to find the positive to E-mail. At the end, there is a brief, but important update on where business and careers are going.

Chapters:

00:00-14:22 - Stop moving the cursor

14:22-27:08 - The Horror Stories of Presales of both

27:08-51:20 - The conversation about E-mail and almost 20 minutes of Lidia trying not to rant

51:20-57:10 - Paul's final final thing about the E-mail

51:10-59:40 - A RSSaunce

59:40-1:12:54 - Follow-up: The state of PacketMage and Paul Harris

Notes and links:

The Verge Article

Enshittification

Lake District

Guide to the Lakes

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After 6 episodes Lidia and Paul finally get into the topic of what it is they actually do for work. Presales / Solutions Consulting / Sales Engineering, one or all of the above. There is a discussion on how the more we learn the less we know (yes, really), the importance of understanding that we have inherant biases and why the perception of "being in sales" is pretty outdated.

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Paul

Check out Packetmage (Lidia's company)

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• Dunning Kruger effect
• Survivorship Bias
• Confirmation Bias
• Six Habits of Highly Effective Sales Engineers
• Glengarry Glen Ross
• The Wolf of Wall Street
• Radical Candor

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