Automation: The opportunities in technology lie on the cutting edge

At IIABA’s national convention, which was held in September in New York City, a panelist who had developed a successful sales plan referred to a “short-read” book entitled “Acres of Diamonds.” I’m fond of short-read books because I can see the end even before beginning, and they usually offer one or more clearly identifiable messages. This book asserted that opportunity is found not just on the other side of the world or even in the next state, but also in our own backyard. Upon further thought, I realized that we often mistake where our “backyard” is located and where in that yard the acres of diamonds really lie.

In technology, the backyard of opportunity often is the front edge of currently available options. We tend to think of things we can do as improvements, comparing where we currently are with where we could be. But if you are not on the latest available technology platforms, then you begin with a reference point that does not offer opportunities for real pioneering prog-ress. When you look ahead, you always see a place that others have already reached.