Your personal brand isn’t what you say about yourself, it’s what others say about you when
you’re not in the room. So how can you grow your personal brand into the most powerful tool of your
career development? On this career-centered episode of The Digital Enterprise Society podcast, Thom
Singer is joined by Irishman Conor Cunneen for a conversation about tactics for devising and
strengthening your personal brand in ways that will benefit your career.
On today’s podcast, you will learn:
What is your personal brand?
● Your personal brand is what people say about you after you’ve left the room.
● What you think your brand is might differ wildly from what other people say your brand is.
● Consider whether you are actually projecting the brand you want to project.
How to take ownership of your mistakes
● If you mess up, don’t be afraid to apologize. It’s a powerful tool in protecting your brand.
● Everyone messes up at some point in some way. Just own it.
● If you want to maintain a positive relationship with someone, it is up to you to make it happen.
Steps to develop your personal brand
● Collaboration is critical in PLM.
● Practice relating to others — the better you relate to others, the better your personal brand
will be.
● Ask yourself — am I reliable, dependable, and easy to work with?
● What 3 words would you like your teammates to say about you when you’re not in the room?
● Take action today that proves you are those characteristics.
How to find a career mentor
● Reach out to management for mentor recommendations.
● Identify a mentor who can encourage and coach you and offer truthful feedback.
● Join a mastermind or accountability group that is relevant to your career.
Why does your attitude matter?
● The attitude of one team member can make or break a group, meeting, or gathering.
● Words and body language matter in the productivity and creativity of your team.
● Ask yourself — what do I want my attitude to be?
● Show up with the attitude you want to have, regardless of how you might actually be feeling.
Develop a positive attitude with CHAPS
● Compliment others regularly.
● Hear the words ‘thank you’ by helping your colleagues.
● Address people by their names.
● Positive words and phrases create a positive atmosphere.
● Smile — put a smile on someone else’s face.
Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at
www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.
Digital Download: Virtual Round-Table Series

Disruptive technologies continue to drive VC strategies. We hear plenty about venture capital and inventions, and there is plenty yet to be invented for PLM (product lifecycle management). On this episode of The Digital Enterprise Society podcast, Craig Brown and Thom Singer welcome SineWave Ventures managing general partner Yanev Suissa for a conversation about venture capital, the technologies that are impacting real change, and the things that we are focusing too much on (and what should be center-stage instead).

On today’s podcast, you will learn:

Finding new technologies in PLM

• Thesis-driven actions and data-driven decisions help shape the work at SineWave.

• With the end goal in mind, they can identify the technologies that are not yet invented.

• Collaborations with industry experts help identify needs and trends.

Technologies to look out for

• Capital-intensive endeavors tend to turn off venture capitalists.

• Craig shares examples from the car industry that need to be addressed.

• Different technology phases require different levels of investment.

• Yanev offers investment options at the seed stage, venture stage, and late stages. 

• Sourcing information is often driven by the commercial world. 

• AI technologies and use cases offer some of the most interesting places for VC to invest.

Disruptive technologies that are driving the VC strategy

• Higher performance and lower cost continue to be the key drivers in investments. 

• Supply chain technologies are currently center stage.

• Securities technologies have moved toward identity-centric securities.

• AI may be overhyped, but it’s far from going away.

• VCs want to find entrepreneurs who know how to adjust within different timeframes.

Finding a VC to invest in your idea

• Get connected on LinkedIn in whatever ways you can.

• The most interesting solution sets often come from big company people who are ready to solve a problem they have dealt with firsthand.

• Entrepreneur geographical location does matter, whether or not it should.

What are we too focused on (that we shouldn’t be)?

• The sovereignty of technology is getting over-hyped.

• We need to refocus on the ground-level answers — what matters and what are technologies trying to accomplish?

• A combination of what is possible in the future and what is useful today is essential to real progress.

Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.

Digital Download: Virtual Round-Table Series

Who should be responsible for the development of tools? Citizen developers or professional developers only? Or maybe a combination of the two is the right answer. Back to help hash out the pros and cons of this hot topic, Mark Pendergast joins Craig and Thom on this episode of The Digital Enterprise Society podcast. Without their usual polar opposite views, Craig and Mark highlight the strengths of both citizen and professional developers and share their recommendations for working toward coexistence to promote better innovation.

On today’s podcast, you will learn:

Citizen developer vs. professionals only

• Mark has been a citizen developer most of his career.

• Anyone who has a day job but also writes code is a citizen developer.

• These developers may be trained, or they may be hackers.

• Professional developers may also be trained or may also be hackers.

• Professionals aim to fill the demands of the IT department while citizen developers meet the needs that are left unaddressed by IT.

• IT faces constraints while citizen developers are free to address whatever they’d like.

• Citizen developers don’t always possess the level of skill that the professionals do.

Advantages and disadvantages of the citizen developer

• Citizen developers are generally quite close to the business need.

• They understand what’s missing and how to address it.

• The best citizen developers are free from the constraints of the IT department.

• Citizen developers rarely have a long-term focus and tend to build non-scaleable products.

• A lack of understanding of the professional craft reflects poorly in their work.

Advantages and disadvantages of the professional developer

• Professionals are better trained to handle the scaling problems.

• Professionals tend to know what is coming before it hits the company.

• However, very few professionals really understand the full scope of the business.

• A clearly defined division of responsibility would benefit both the professional and the citizen developer, as well as the end product.

• Management doesn't always support the cooperation of professional and citizen developers because it limits innovation.

Craig’s rules surrounding the development of software

• Don't’ share (if you're the citizen developer).

• If the product is attached to the IT network of the company, it’s the company’s responsibility to keep it safe and scaled.

• Phototypes can come from anybody and should be in the hands of the people that use them.

Mark’s rules surrounding the development of software

• When the rules become oppressive, tyranny ensues.

• IT is too powerful and readily available to overcome.

• The more IT tries to shut apps down, the more they will be shared.

• Rules need to be reasonable all around so they don’t force citizen developers underground.

Final words and takeaways

• Mark argues that there can be peaceful coexistence but recognizes that it won’t be easy to achieve.

• Improving the craft is key to success.

• IT needs to work together with citizen developers to provide tools and offer support.

• Craig agrees with Mark — the more knowledge any developer brings to the problem the better they can solve the process.

• If IT can solve the problem, find a citizen developer who can.

• Coexistence is the answer to better innovation.

Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.

Digital Download: Virtual Round-Table Series