Kevin Blanco 🎬’s Post

"The Software Opportunity" 👉🏽 building a bridge between what has been and what could be. There are many industries still running core business operations with manual procedures and processes. But bright minds and keen software solutions provide a unique opportunity to streamline tedious tasks and maximize revenue. Don't get me wrong: I love pencil and paper and typically advocate for those tools in early stage product ideation. But sophisticated business leaders simply deserve better. **This** is precisely the software opportunity. What has been has worked and what can be may work remarkably better. That's why I'm intrigued by the innovations pioneered by the likes of PermitFlow, NinjaOne, and Stripe (to name a just a few). The software these companies build serve as models for iterating on legacy processes, and clearly demonstrate that the software opportunity is alive and well. ✨ #softwareEngineering #roi #innovation

Like many content writers, I’ve been hit hard by the impact of layoffs and AI. The loss of work has brought a lot of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety about the future. I’ve been wondering what’s next for my career and where to go from here. But as frightening as AI can be, it also presents a unique opportunity. Instead of resisting it, I’ve decided to lean in and embrace it by learning how to build AI automation solutions. I’ll be taking courses on Make and using tools like Vapi and Voiceflow. Here's why I'm doing this.👇🏿 The writing is on the wall ✍🏿: Last year saw the biggest wave of tech layoffs since the dot-com crash of 2001. In 2024, over 100,000 tech jobs have been cut across 360 companies. AI is the driving force behind many of these job cuts, and companies like Meta aren’t even trying to hide that fact. To survive, I've decided to take an adapt-or-die mindset. I want to ride the AI wave, not be swept away by it 🏄🏿♂️: AI is creating new opportunities that didn’t exist a few years ago, like AI Trainer, Sentiment Analyzer, AI Prompt Engineer, and AI Automation Specialist. Entire careers are on the horizon that we can't even imagine yet. By upskilling, I'm building on what I know while mastering new skills to ensure I remain competitive. I want to commit for a year 🕚: Eight years ago, I made a similar commitment to learn coding but then I quit after four months. This time, I’m determined to stick it out for a year. I want to dedicate the next year to mastering AI, with a focus on building practical solutions that have real-world applications. Committing to a year of focused learning feels like the right move. It's a small investment for the potential returns. I also go into more detail about this decision in a post I made on Medium (link in comments). I’ll be posting my journey there, so follow along!

Discover how Kodecrew seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Business and G-Suite in our recent blogpost! In this 3 mins read, we talk about the value of metrics in boosting team efficiency, understanding communication patterns, and making informed decisions. Explore case studies, success stories, and the future of AI integration on https://bit.ly/3IBmhA1 🚀 #TeamManagement #SoftwareDevelopment #KodecrewInsights"

💡"𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲?" 🤔 This is a question I hear a lot, but here’s the thing: it’s not the most important concern. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗻𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗜, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲: 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. No matter how advanced technology gets, it can’t handle all of that for you. 𝗔𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗿. What used to take founders years is now happening in mere months. With the rise of AI, more people than ever will start building technical products. So, instead of focusing too much on 𝗵𝗼𝘄 to build, focus earlier (and longer) on the 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲: your go-to-market strategy, understanding your audience, and standing out in a crowded space. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀—𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀. 🚀

As a firm believer in the statement, 'AI will not take your job; rather, people with AI skills will replace you at your job,' I emphasize the importance of adapting to technological advancements and acquiring AI-related expertise to remain competitive in the workforce. Recently, I’ve been exploring Bolt.new, an AI-powered tool designed to revolutionize the software development process. This platform exemplifies how artificial intelligence is reshaping coding, from generating efficient code snippets to streamlining debugging and optimization tasks. What stands out about Bolt.new is its ability to seamlessly integrate into development workflows, offering intelligent support that enhances productivity and precision. As developers, tools like these empower us to focus on innovation and problem-solving, while AI handles routine and repetitive tasks. As technology evolves, embracing AI tools like Bolt.new is no longer optional—it’s essential for staying ahead in the dynamic world of software development. Have you had a chance to explore Bolt.new or similar tools? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences! #ArtificialIntelligence #wordpress #webdevelopment #SoftwareDevelopment #AITools #BoltNew #Innovation #TechLeadership

Do you know what’s often overlooked in tech? The people behind the screens. 🤔 But at Squash Apps, we’ve always known our biggest strength isn’t just in the technology—it’s in our people. Here’s why our team is our greatest asset: When we started, I thought tech would solve everything. But what really made the difference was our team’s dedication and creativity. They’re the ones who turn ideas into reality and face challenges head-on. ✔️ Our developers don’t just code; they innovate.  ✔️ Our designers don’t just create; they understand user needs deeply.  ✔️ And our project managers? They keep everything running smoothly. In a world where tech is often seen as the hero, let’s not forget the real MVPs—our people. Technology is powerful, but it’s the human touch that drives real success. So, next time you’re celebrating a project win, remember to give a shoutout to the people who made it happen. They’re the heartbeat of any tech success story. Do you think AI can ever take over the human element in tech? #Teamwork #TechSuccess #HumanElement 

This week is a time when people in the US pause to reflect. In my work life, I sometimes have to pinch myself 🧿 Just this last week, I talked to six inspiring startup founders and learned about the five breakthrough products they are building. I even get to help out a little bit with advice on occasion. Go check out these brilliant companies: Fiberplane is building a new way of testing and debugging APIs. By being embedded in your stack it lets you make API calls quicker and allows you to observe and trace issues Supercog AI is quickly building out helpful AI assistants inside Slack. By connecting to resources inside your company, it lets you connect to real-time info with one unified chat interface. Convoy (YC W22) is an Open Source, high-performance API Gateway for organizations that rely heavily on Webhooks. It lets you secure, debug, and reliably deliver millions of events. Tailcall is a modern, Open Source GraphQL platform that doesn't break the bank. It offers a great developer experience and will effortlessly integrate with the rest (pun intended) of your APIs. Srcbook is an AI app development product that focuses on the user experience. I was able to quickly render a front-end prototype out of the box. Yes, faster and easier than V0 and Cursor! And this is just in the past week. I can’t tell you how excited and optimistic I feel talking to these founders. In the same timeframe, I wrote my highest-performing post to date (https://lnkd.in/gpxKdXgn), got to help out three friends with career changes, and ideated on an upcoming offering for Level 250 and multiple CFPs for 2025! Let me know in the comments what you’re thankful for in your professional life👇 PS. Bonus points if you own one of these stickers and can post a pic of it!

I was feeling pretty down last week—just had one of those weeks where it felt like I didn’t move the needle. I started writing up our end-of-quarter report for the leadership team, and two big things kept dragging me down: • Didn’t launch Lab82 • Didn’t relaunch the new nuom site and brand refresh I was so caught up in what didn’t happen, I wasn’t even focusing on everything we did achieve. So, I decided to take the dog for a walk while there was still some sunshine. While scrolling through LinkedIn, I came across a post from Jason Iliffe that had a line that really hit home: "1% every day builds up into something special" Damn, yeah—I forgot that. I was so focused on what we didn’t complete that I overlooked all the other wins we had this quarter: • £150k of new sales • Renewal of contracts for 2025 totaling £500K • 20 new leads this quarter • 3 new content creators hired full-time • Supported 5 Innovate UK grant applications • Started picking up Python and developing an AI Autonomous Bot (my own J.A.R.V.I.S.) • Began my role as Fractional CTO at Mindora, building Autonomous AI for a thriving workforce • Had 30 new meetings and conversations • Succesful R&D claims from HMRC • Implemented an engineering delivery framework within Obi Coach • Got to spend most of August with the family making memories Damn, we actually did move the needle. What’s been your biggest win this quarter? #EntrepreneurLife

Pulgin Store Beta closed - Navigating change is always hard In the ever-evolving landscape of digital tools and platforms, the news that the plugin store will become inaccessible after March 19, 2024, serves as a pivotal moment for many of us reliant on these innovations to streamline our operations and engage with our audiences. This announcement brings with it a blend of uncertainty and opportunity—a scenario I found myself navigating not too long ago, which turned out to be a transformative experience for my business. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱 Just as we are now faced with the closure of the plugin store and the shift towards GPTs and the GPT store, I encountered a similar crossroads when a key piece of technology my business depended on was phased out. The tool was integral to our daily operations, and its sudden absence threatened to disrupt our workflow significantly. 𝗔 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The initial panic was felt across the team. We scrambled to find alternatives, but nothing seemed to fit quite right. It was during this frantic search for a solution that I stumbled upon the concept of "creating a winning frame" Instead of looking for a direct replacement, we asked ourselves: How can we flip this change to our advantage? This question marked the beginning of a journey that not only led us to overcome the challenge but also to innovate in ways we didn't know existed. The Outcome: A Testament to Innovation The result was nothing short of a small miracle for us. And it was nothing more than a change in how we perceived our world Your Turn to Innovate For business owners standing at this crossroads, faced with the winding down of the plugin beta, I share this story as a testament to the power of adaptation and innovation. The transition may be daunting, but it's not the end. 𝗣𝗦: 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 If you're navigating this shift and wondering how to leverage GPTs for your advantage. Embrace the change, and let's innovate together. How are you turning them into opportunities? Share your stories and let's inspire one another to adapt and thrive. #chatgpt #business #innovation

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