May, 2025 – Rogue Tech Talks ©

We had a lively discussion about threats affecting the workforce in general, and the upcoming changes to labor, based on proposed (upcoming) policies.

Research notes for the scheduled talk on Strategic Planning are presented here as suggestions for individual workers and businesses.

Inspiration: While I was preparing for tonight’s presentation, I happened to see an interview of someone named Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale.com. My first thought was: Is this guy associated with Wang Labs? My second thought was: Scale.com is a very cool domain name.

As the TV Interview progressed, I discovered that Alexandr had figured out two things: data is the new gold, and aptitudes are the rock-hammers and picks used to mine that gold.

Everyone is born with a set of aptitudes (natural abilities) which provide the foundation for developing a skill set that leads to having a successful life. I attribute my business success to discovering and then applying my aptitude-based skill set to my business ventures. I believe that when a company compiles a workforce with the proper configuration of people who possess the various aptitudes required for the company’s desired performance, the company tends to achieve their goal.

Scale.com is marrying data and aptitudes to discover which AI products might be the best for for a specific project. They measure AI apps across multiple dimensions: math; coding; multi-lingual; reasoning and tool use capabilities, and then stack the rankings.

Bolstering the move to integrating AI into the World of Business—specifically ISR Platforms for use by the Military—there’s this ZeroHedge article about Edge-Processed AI Systems which provides an alarming report about how China is out-distancing the U.S. in the ISR (Intelligence | Surveillance | Reconnaissance) Platforms which form the backbone of modern military intelligence; enabling superior decision-making through advanced surveillance and reconnaissance systems. In the world of Special Ops, the OODA Loop (Observe | Orient | Decide | Act) is measured in seconds. Leaping ahead of the Pentagon in making a decision to provide funds for these systems, a small team took it upon themselves to deploy modified commercial AI tools on ruggedized edge processors.

Their proof-of-concept testing has produced dramatic results by having Operators work directly with AI developers to solve real-world problems. Recommendations include:

Push AI to the Edge
Rapid Field Testing
Operator-Driven Development
Flexible Acquisition
AI-Enabled Training

The article continues with a call to action for Operators to inform the Powers That Be about the fact that AI Systems are the new tools the military needs to complete their missions; to be able to react to pattern changes—in seconds—within five domains:

air
surface
sub-surface
cyber
electro-magnetic

Back to Business…and Strategic Planning
The website AchieveIt.com highlights several examples of strategic planning failure: 1)HP. Not taking time to merge corporate cultures; 2)Xerox. Weak core company values; 3) Cisco. Lack of planning when targeting new technology in a new, unproven market; 4) Unum Provident. Merged two companies without considering their individual cultures were not a good fit. AchieveIt then presents five simple steps to improve your company’s management and execution process:

Plan
Automate
Manage
Analyze
Achieve

Along those lines, and back to the offerings of Scale.com, they have introduced SEAL: their Safety, Evaluations and Alignment Lab. Their first major research initiative is aimed at enhancing transparency and standardization in the safety and compliance processes associated with LLM deployments. This includes establishing benchmarks for deploying Large Language Models (LLMs) by developing comprehensive evaluation products and advanced red teaming solutions.

On an individual level, the following activities are suggestions for business:

Communication Stability: Open, transparent communication from company leaders.
New Laws for Emergency Operations Companies: This is leading to NG911; Next Gen 911.
Transportation Laws and Mandates: Ensure that DOT guidance remains lawful, reasonable, consistent with Administration policy, understandable, and readily accessible to the public.
Retail Sales, considering the upcoming economic changes: National Retail Federation (NRF) top priorities for the coming year include extension of tax provisions; improved trade policy; swipe fee adjustments [New checkout procedure: Grab | Scan | Go. NO checkers!]; addressing elevated levels of theft & violence; organized retail crime.
Supply Chain Disruption: Unexpected events that interrupt the normal flow of goods, services, or resources within a supply chain.
New AI Variations: Checkout Microsoft’s predictions for 2025.
Staff Training Issues: Common Challenges with Employee Training
Research & Development: 10 R&D Productivity Challenges and Innovator Solutions
Data Breaches & Cyber Threats: Effective strategies to prevent data breaches in 2025. Learn how to do it with encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular audits.

WrapUp
In my opinion, the most important thing a company can do is to maintain a healthy work environment: to hire people with the most appropriate aptitudes for their operation; to have open-and-honest communications practices; and to know what their market is and where they fit within that market.

SWOT Your Biz!
Performing a SWOT Analysis is a quick-and-dirty way to check your company’s positioning. Threats seem to be the common hot button because they are usually the types of things that surprise us. It’s more comfortable to think—and to dream—about the things you studied in business school: Operations; Finance; Marketing & Sales; Research & Development. And, it’s easy to correlate Strengths with balance sheets, Weaknesses with past failures, Opportunities with exciting new developments. But Threats are the unknown; they might blindside you. Force yourself to identify the threats that might impact your successful operations. I’ve highlighted a few examples within general categories; however, it’s up to the owners to focus on those issues that might impact your business.

THREATS: External factors; negative issues that present a risk to your business.

Economic Factors:

Recessions or Economic Downturns: A general slowdown in economic activity can lead to decreased consumer spending and reduced demand for products and services.
Inflation: Rising prices can erode purchasing power and make it harder for businesses to maintain profitability.
Interest Rate Fluctuations: Changes in interest rates can affect borrowing costs and investment decisions.
Unemployment: High unemployment rates can lead to a decrease in consumer demand and a potential labor shortage.

Competitive Factors:

Increased Competition: New entrants or aggressive competitors can drive down prices, reduce market share, and force businesses to innovate or adapt.
Product Substitution: The emergence of new products or services that can fulfill the same needs as existing ones can lead to a decline in demand.
Price Wars: Competitive pricing can lead to lower profit margins and make it difficult for businesses to sustain their operations.

Technological Disruptions:

Technological Advancements: New technologies can disrupt existing industries and create new opportunities, but also pose a threat to businesses that are not able to adapt.
Cybersecurity Threats: Data breaches and cyberattacks can lead to financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.
Automation: Automation can lead to job losses and require businesses to invest in new technologies and processes.

Regulatory and Legal Issues:

Changes in Laws and Regulations: New laws and regulations can increase compliance costs, restrict business operations, and create uncertainty.
Legal Disputes: Lawsuits and regulatory investigations can lead to significant financial penalties and reputational damage.
Intellectual Property Infringement: The theft or misuse of intellectual property can lead to significant financial losses and legal battles.

Supply Chain Disruptions:

Natural Disasters: Extreme weather events, earthquakes, or other natural disasters can disrupt supply chains and lead to shortages and price increases.
Political Instability: Political unrest or conflict can disrupt trade routes and make it difficult for businesses to operate.
Transportation Problems: Delays or disruptions in transportation can lead to shortages and increased costs.

Suggested solutions for threats encountered.

Divide your company’s business components into categories (profit centers, cost centers, departments…) and then launch company focus groups to assess current status and the probability of the threats causing disruption to the company. These focus groups could meet on a regular basis to assess changing issues.

Encourage the staff to have their aptitudes tested at Johnson O’Conner Research Foundation. They actually measure almost 30 different aptitudes and then provide direction to careers where the individual’s combination of aptitudes would be most beneficial.

These same suggestions might be applied to individuals who have elected to depart long-standing positions in favor of better situations. To implement: inventory your personal collection of aptitudes to determine which combination of aptitudes will provide the most satisfaction when applied to a desired position. Then research your desired geographical area to locate business opportunities—either companies hiring for your desired position or even individuals who want to contract for your talents over a shorter term. This exercise, combined with networking activities, will provide a path forward to reaching your goal.