OP #242: Tech & Digital Conference Season Sneak Peek

Author

Darren Herman
January 16, 2024

Happy Tuesday OP Community!

I want to give a shoutout to all the OP Community members who purchased a raffle ticket or made a donation to the Tremont School. Over 30 of you supported this important cause of which I’m a Trustee, and I truly appreciate it. We held our big raffle at the annual trivia night this past Friday. Out of over 500 entries, the first prize winner was one of you! I'll keep the winner anonymous, but they won either a Virgin Voyages cruise to any current destination or $2,000 cash. Thank you to the OP community for participating in this cause that is near and dear to me.

I came across a bunch of interesting things this past week.  Need a company name? Checkout this Namelix tool. I do not think this replaces the Landor, Siegel+Gale, or Pentagram of this world, but could easily provide some thought starters.

A few folks I know are putting out some good content into the world: Friend and a16z partner Chris Dixon is writing a book called Read Write Own. My friend Philip Pearlman had a good post around Simplicity Vs. Everybody (Prime Cuts Newsletter). Former colleague Cam Wykes sent me an article he co-authored similar to my AI App Store enthusiasm from OP #241. His focus was on the ChatGPT Plug-Ins. And I’m not sure if you listen to Worthy for Thirty but my friend and OP subscriber Eric interviewed Steven Izen, Founder & CEO of Lokai last week.

Mr. Beast has launched candy bars and hamburgers… but now, software for YouTube measurement. Is he the first influencer who has launched something other than a consumer product?

SimilarWeb released their Digital 100, I’m not going to lie, I’ve not heard of many of these companies but that’s good. I like learning about new companies. Speaking about growth, check out this crazy Apple stock chart where Apple has gained 1% every 18 days for 20 years.

Three last things before we get to the fun articles:

And here are some more 2024 prediction charts because it seems as if this community likes reading predictions:

Have a fantastic week.

-Darren

Summit and Conference Season Insights for 2024

With the summit and conference season upon us, it's vital to stay informed, whether or not you're attending these events in person. To do this, I had a little fun with AI. I downloaded each conference schedule and prompted ChatGPT to give me a summary of topics that will b covered. Here's a snapshot of the key topics from major summits like CES, NRF, IAB ALM, Shoptalk, and Possible, which are shaping the landscape for marketers and digital media operators in 2024:

  • CES (January 8-12, 2024): This year's CES is all about integrating AI into media and technology. Key focuses include the convergence of digital experiences with emerging tech such as AR and the Metaverse, evolving streaming TV, monetizing immersive experiences, and innovations in smart city technologies.

  • NRF (January 14-16, 2024): At NRF, the spotlight is on innovative advertising in retail, exploring new retail store technologies, sustainable eCommerce logistics, blending online and offline retail strategies, and AI's expanding role in retail.

  • IAB ALM (January 28-30, 2024): Discussions at IAB ALM revolve around AI's influence on creativity and workflow, fostering responsible media for a sustainable future, the ongoing evolution of digital advertising and streaming, plus the challenges around privacy and data management.

  • Shoptalk (March 17-20, 2024): Shoptalk focuses on the impact of AI on retail, the importance of building brand trust, crafting seamless customer journeys, achieving unified retail experiences, and navigating changing industry relationships.

  • Possible (April 15-17, 2024): While specific tracks are yet to be announced, Possible is expected to delve into consumer marketing, the interplay between business and society, and the latest in technology and innovation.

As an investor or operator in this sector, these are the topics that should be on your radar in 2024. Understanding and integrating these insights into your value creation plan is crucial for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Are you planning on attending any of these shows?

Job Opportunity: Digital & Web Director at athenahealth

We are looking for a Website & Digital Strategy Director to join the Brand and Communications team within our Marketing department. In this role, the Website & Digital Strategy Director will play a pivotal role in steering our website and digital vision while promoting customer satisfaction and propelling our web-based prospect pipeline. In essence, we envision this role as a General Manager for our online platform, responsible for driving the performance of our website. Our objectives are straightforward; we aim to amplify our prospect pipeline and gratify our existing clientele by delivering an exceptional digital experience.

The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record in either a B2B or B2C company where they demonstrated an unwavering commitment to understanding and navigating the customer funnel, discerning onsite behaviors, and implementing conversion rate optimization initiatives. We're keen on hiring a professional who will challenge our perspective and harness our website and digital platform as an engine for business growth. 

Job Responsibilities 

  • Partner with internal stakeholders and agency partners to develop and execute a comprehensive website and digital strategy aligned to our vision, business goals and objectives. 

  • Oversee the planning, design, execution, and maintenance of athenahealth.com with a focus on creating a modernized, user-friendly, and mobile-first experience optimizing site performance and the user journey at every turn.  

  • Establish the analytics that matter to drive prospect growth and customer satisfaction through the site, and mercilessly drive performance to become better 

  • Oversee the planning, creation and execution of digital tools to help better inform prospects and accelerate our sales funnel.  

  • Implement strategies to continuously optimize website performance, user experience, customer satisfaction, and conversation rates 

  • Collaborate with senior leadership to surface plans, incorporate inputs and integrate digital initiatives into the broader business strategy. 

I've done extensive reading this week and I hope you'll enjoy the following links that I've curated. If you come across an article that you believe would be a great addition to future OP letters, don't hesitate to share it with me. However, please note that I retain the discretion to decide on the content that goes into each OP letter.

Active vs. Passive Learning (CollabFund/Morgan Housel)

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