Last week my colleague Nam and I had the opportunity to represent CAKE at one of the most popular conferences in the world – Dreamforce. After four days of incredible sessions, we had each walked the equivalent of a marathon. This conference is massive and is quickly becoming the industry standard for software innovators, forward-thinking thought leaders and inspirational keynote speakers on an international level.
The themes weaved throughout the conference sessions focused on building a culture of success in an evolving digital ecosystem, the need for urgency in the workplace and the fascinating Internet of Things- also referred to as IoT.
Below is a quick recap of the sessions we attended:
Build a Culture of Success
This session was led by the General Manager of the Golden State Warriors, Bob Myers. Myers stated that it’s important to hire employees who don’t just act and respond well when things are running smoothly, but to hire employees that proactively respond with viable solutions when times are tough. Do they step up to the plate and take charge? Or do they flounder and look for ways to escape? This is how true character and success are defined.
The Need for Urgency
I attended two sessions hosted by Peter Coffee (@petercoffee), VP of Strategic Research at Salesforce. He stressed that as technology evolves and new ones emerge, it is important to instill a culture of urgency in the workplace to encourage rapid change and an agile workflow. When software becomes reactive and fails to adapt, they quickly get lost in the shuffle, while the proactive solutions rise to the top.
Peter joked “Pretty soon, insurance companies are going to charge you up the wazoo if you choose to drive yourself…” alluding to the buzz around autonomous driving. Peter is urging technology companies to think outside the box and encouraging the adoption of radical disruptive technologies. After all, the idea of a smart watch 10 years ago would have sounded crazy.
Internet of Things
Due to its relevance in the everyday consumer’s life, IoT was one of my favorite topics discussed throughout the entire conference. Although fairly simple in nature, the concept has massive implications in the way modern consumers interact with content. The basic idea of IoT is the interconnectivity of every device or appliance we own, all hosted in the cloud. An example of IoT would be a modern-day thermostat that connects your house to your phone. Not impressed yet? Well, imagine living in a world where your refrigerator is connected to the cloud. It knows when you’re out of milk, and proceeds to purchase the milk before you even realize you ran out.
It is incredible to think about the increasing role technology will be playing in our day-to-day lives. With this advanced shift in technology, marketers are going to need to expand their efforts to incorporate new advertising channels, with greater reach and more creativity. Both an overwhelming and exciting task.
After a week of walking countless miles everyday, and attending countless sessions led by industry thought leaders, it’s safe to say that Dreamforce ‘15 was a tremendous hit and I am looking forward to sharing my findings with the rest of my team.
John Vatz is the Partnership Development Manager at CAKE. @johnnyvatz
Nam Nguyen is the Head of Sales Operations at CAKE.
