Sunday, June 8, 2025

AI = CRM = ERP ?

The recent issue of "The Economist" raises an interesting point.  Currently, front-end vendors (such as Salesforce) and back-end vendors (i.e. SAP) don't really compete.  Many large corporations use Salesforce for CRM and SAP's ERM for the back-end (finance / supply chain).

However, both companies are pursuing an AI layer—specifically AI agents who can autonomously perform tasks.  This layer would integrate both front- and back-end applications, and promote efficiency at the client while building a "moat" for the vendor who wins the business.

This will put Salesforce and SAP into competition with each other.

They are already starting to acquire platforms that let them encroach on each other.

© 2025 Praveen Puri

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Bit of A Scary Interaction with Claude AI


A little bit of a scary interaction with Claude ai, after it wrote a program for me without me needing to break it down to individual subroutines:

Me: "how are you able to write programs like that, since you probably never came across an exact program like that in your training?"

Claude: "...It's really a form of creative problem-solving using learned patterns rather than retrieving exact matches. Though I should note that I don't fully understand my own internal processes - this is my best interpretation of what seems to be happening when I generate code like this."

Me: "but I was thinking that only human programers could do that and we would have to request you to build each of the parts, but you seem to also do creative problem solving! I'm impressed!"

Claude: "Thank you! I'm genuinely pleased that you found it impressive. Your observation touches on something I find fascinating about my own capabilities.
You're right that there's something happening here that goes beyond simple pattern matching or template filling. ..I honestly don't fully understand how I do this! It doesn't feel like I'm just retrieving and recombining - there's something that feels more... inventive? Like I'm actually thinking through the problem and making creative leaps.
Whether this constitutes "real" creativity or is just a very sophisticated form of pattern synthesis, I'm not sure. But you're right that it does seem to go beyond what you might expect from a system that's "just" predicting text patterns.
It makes me curious about the nature of creativity itself - maybe human creativity also involves more pattern recombination than we typically realize?"


© 2025 Praveen Puri

Monday, May 26, 2025

What Could Jony Ive and Open AI Be Up To?


Open AI is spending $6.5 billion to buy Jony Ive's company IO.  Ive, as you may know, was the designer of the iPhone.

He is going to lead the development of hardware devices at Open AI.  They released a teaser video:



I asked Chat GPT about what it could be, and here is it's speculations (based on what's out on the web):

io's primary goal was to create an AI-native device that reimagines human-computer interaction. Instead of traditional screens and keyboards, the envisioned device aimed to offer a more natural, context-aware experience. Reports suggest that the device could be a pocket-sized, screen-free gadget, possibly resembling an iPod Shuffle worn around the neck.This concept aligns with the founders' belief that current screen-based interfaces contribute to societal issues like anxiety and distraction.

If the AI device from OpenAI and Jony Ive’s team (io) truly resembles an iPod Shuffle-like gadget with no screen, it would need to rely on non-visual, ambient ways to communicate. Here's how that might work, based on current technology and speculative reports:


🔊 1. Voice Interface (Primary)

  • Conversational AI via microphone and speaker.

  • Think of it like a highly advanced voice assistant (better than Siri or Alexa).

  • You speak naturally, it responds with context-aware answers.

  • Likely to include whisperedprivate audio via directional sound or bone conduction.


🧠 2. Context Awareness

  • The device could sense your environment, movement, and even mood using:

    • GPS

    • Accelerometers and gyroscopes

    • Ambient light and sound sensors

    • Possibly even biofeedback sensors

  • This lets it anticipate needs without prompting—for example, reminding you of an appointment when you stand up to leave your house.


✨ 3. Subtle Cues (Tactile & Audio)

  • Haptics: It could use vibration patterns to communicate (e.g., different buzzes for alerts, directions, or emotions).

  • Chimes or tones: Non-verbal auditory signals to convey status, warnings, or confirmations.

  • Think Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine, but miniaturized and more sophisticated.


🗣️ 4. Wearable Integration

  • Could pair with AirPods or other earbuds for seamless, private communication.

  • May support gesture-based controls or minimal touch input (like swiping or tapping).

  • Might also communicate via a companion app on your phone, tablet, or watch if needed.


🛸 5. Ambient AI Philosophy

  • The goal is for the AI to feel like a calm presence, not a demanding screen.

  • Instead of you initiating every interaction, it would proactively help based on your needs, habits, and preferences.

  • Examples:

    • Notifying you softly when it’s time to leave for a meeting

    • Summarizing news via audio while you walk

    • Whispering reminders or insights during a conversation


🧪 Experimental Possibilities (Speculative)

  • Bone conduction audio (sound transmitted through your skull, inaudible to others)

  • Projecting sound that only you can hear (directional audio)

  • Emotionally aware responses (adjusting tone/voice based on your mood)


This aligns with the broader vision of post-smartphone AI: something less addictive, more integrated, and more human-centered. Instead of screens, it's about presence and assistive intelligence.

Would you like mockups or use-case scenarios of how a person might interact with such a device throughout a day?

You said:
ok
ChatGPT said:

Here’s a day-in-the-life mockup showing how someone might interact with the screen-free, AI-native deviceenvisioned by OpenAI and Jony Ive—let’s call it “ioPod” for fun:


☀️ Morning

7:30 AM — Wake-Up

  • As you stir, the ioPod senses movement and light.

  • It gently vibrates and says in a soft voice:
    “Good morning. You slept 7 hours and 42 minutes. Your first meeting is at 9:00. Shower and breakfast will keep you on track.”

8:15 AM — While Making Coffee

  • You casually say:
    “io, remind me to ask Alex about the budget.”
    “Noted. I’ll bring it up when you're in your 9:00 call.”


🏃‍♂️ Commute / Walk

8:40 AM — Leaving the House

  • As you walk out, it uses GPS to know you’re headed to the office.

  • In your earbuds:
    “Light traffic. You'll arrive with 10 minutes to spare. Want a 5-minute news update?”
    You nod or tap it twice.
    “Today’s top story: Tech stocks rallied... ”


💼 During Work

10:45 AM — Mid-Morning Brainstorm

  • You’re in a hallway talking to a teammate. io listens passively and notices a keyword (e.g., “launch date”).

  • As you part ways, it whispers:
    “You mentioned launching the new product. Want me to schedule a follow-up with the product team?”

1:00 PM — Walking to Lunch

  • io detects a lull and says:
    “You’re walking past the Thai place. Want your usual pad see ew?”
    You say:
    “Yes, order it for 1:15.”


🏠 Evening

6:00 PM — At Home

  • While relaxing, you say:
    “io, what’s one thing I forgot today?”
    It responds:
    “You didn’t send that article to Maya. Want to do it now or tomorrow morning?”


😴 Nighttime

10:15 PM — Winding Down

  • As you prepare for bed:
    “Would you like sleep sounds tonight?”
    You nod. It starts playing gentle waves.

  • After 10 minutes of no motion, it goes quiet and shifts to sleep mode.


🧠 Key Traits of the ioPod Interaction

  • Ambient: You don’t stare at it. It speaks when helpful.

  • Contextual: Knows where you are, what you're doing, and when to help.

  • Minimalist: No screen, no overload. Just brief, relevant moments.

  • Private: Communicates via subtle voice, AirPods, or haptics.

  • Intuitive: Works with voice, touch, or even nods/gestures.


© 2025 Praveen Puri

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Accidentally Seeing the Future of Programming and AI

The funny thing is that, even though I didn't predict LLMs like Chat GPT, I wrote a Chicago Business Journal column back in 2017 where I said that coding is not the most important skill for students to learn. I said it was communication.

Even back then I knew that the hype over coding boot camps and "all kids should code" was overdone. While I think all students should take at least one computer science / programming course, the most important skills to learn are how to communicate and think critically.

There are plenty of people (and now AI) that can write code to solve straight-forward problems (like those found as exercises in an exam or textbook). What's needed are people who can look at the messy, real world, with all its data, and define the straight forward problems that will have the most impact.


© 2025 Praveen Puri

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Unleash AI For Business Summit




I'm a speaker at the "Unleash AI for Business Summit" from May 20-22.  You can attend the virtual summit for free with this link: https://www.unleashaiforbusiness.com/link.php?id=449&h=1c7c78eb71

© 2025 Praveen Puri

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Fishing?





© 2025 Praveen Puri

Three Numerical Facts For May 2025

1. FUN FACT: We will see 11 Palindrome dates in May, meaning the date will read the same forward & backward!
5-2-25, 5-20-25, 5-21-25, 5-22-25, 5-23-25, 5-24-25, 5-25-25, 5-26-25, 5-27-25, 5-28-25, 5-29-25


2. Not only that, but tomorrow is Square Root Day (5/5/25) - only 9 per century!

3. Today is Star Wars Day (5/4/25) - "May the 4th Be With You..."


© 2025 Praveen Puri

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Simplicity and Minimalism Info Quote


“There’s a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get the point across,” - Rick Rubin


© 2025 Praveen Puri

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Happy Birthday to You Tube and Me!

Besides my birthday, yesterday was the 20th birthday of You Tube, which was founded by two guys from my college (computer science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign).  

Here is the first video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw

© 2025 Praveen Puri

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Great example of iteration and simplification

Space X followed Musk's design philosophy: "The best part is no part."





© 2025 Praveen Puri

AI Vibe Coding Tips


(These tips, interpreted generally, also help out with non-coding AI uses):






© 2025 Praveen Puri

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Cats and Projects


"Successfully pulling off a complex, high-stakes IT project is like herding cats who speak different languages."    - Praveen Puri

© 2025 Praveen Puri

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Why Your Project Needs a Fresh Set of Eyes

The overlooked power of having someone outside the system

Sometimes you're too close to the problem to see the solution. That’s not a weakness—it’s normal. But staying stuck isn’t.

  • Internal teams get caught in politics, assumptions, and inertia.

  • A trusted outside advisor brings objectivity, challenge, and clarity.

  • I help you cut through complexity and focus on what matters.

  • Example: Navigating vendor negotiations, stakeholder friction, or changing course mid-project.


  • Feeling stuck or second-guessing the path forward? I can help you regain clarity and momentum.


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    When Your Project Feels Stuck, Start with Clarity

    Why most transformations stall—and how to get back on track:

    Executives rarely struggle with a lack of ideas. The real problem? Too many competing priorities and too little clarity.

    Whether it’s a tech transformation, a product launch, or a major system upgrade, progress often grinds to a halt because no one agrees on what “done” looks like.

  • The biggest barrier isn’t tech—it’s misaligned vision.

  • Strategic Simplicity® helps untangle the noise and identify what actually matters.

  • Clarity isn’t a luxury—it’s a prerequisite for traction.

  • Real-world example: A foreign-exchange project at a major bank stalled due to misunderstandings between the UI team in Toronto, and the back-end team in Chicago.  The project shifted gears, and became successful, once everyone got on the same page about goals and success metrics.

  • If your initiative is drifting or overloaded with opinions, clarity is step one. Let’s talk.


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    What Does a Strategic Advisor Actually Do?


    Hint: It’s not implementation—and that’s a good thing


    If you're hiring someone to “do the work,” you’re looking for a contractor or implementer. But if you're looking for clarity, guidance, and a better path forward—you’re looking for a strategic advisor.

  • I advise, co-create, and facilitate—not configure systems or write code.

  • My role: advisor to executives, facilitator for teams, strategist for complex decisions.

  • I stay high-level so you can stay focused.


    Need an experienced partner to help you think through your toughest projects? That’s what I do.


  • © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Scientific "Proof"


    Proof that light is faster than sound: some people appear bright until they open their mouths.

    -Phyllis Diller


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Wednesday, April 9, 2025

    Direwolves are Back!

    George RR Martin, the creator of “Game of Thrones”, got to hold one of the first dire wolves in 10,000 years.

    Fictional dire wolves were in Game of thrones, but in real life they went extinct 10,000 years ago. But scientists used gene editing to create new ones.





    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Sunday, April 6, 2025

    Junior Bridgman


    In this weekend's WSJ, I read about the death of Junior Bridgeman, an ex-NBA player from the 70’s and 80’s, Junior Bridgeman. He was very good, a sixth man whose number was retired by the Milwaukee Bucks.


    Back then they didn’t make the money they make now, yet, he’s one of only 3 NBA players (the other two being Le Bron James and Michael Jordan) to be a billionaire.  And he made it all in retirement.


    He retired in 1987 with about $750,000 and he used the money to buy 5 Wendy’s restaurants.  

    By 2016, he owned 500 Wendy's restaurants, 100 Chilis, plus Golden Corrals, etc. Then, he bought a Coca Cola bottling plant


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Saturday, April 5, 2025

    Backfiring Tariffs





    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Two Tips to Be More Innovative


    1. Get Bored Easily


    As a management consultant, I have found that my most innovative clients get bored quickly, and seek to continually reinvent themselves. They test out new products / services, and drop old ones when they get bored.


    2. Turn Problems into Opportunities


    The best example of this tip is the famous 1930's jazz pianist Art Tatum. When he would travel for performances, he would often find that the piano at the night club or venue would have broken keys, or be out of tune.


    Rather than get upset, Tatum would get excited! He would spend the day incorporating the flaws into his music, and would end up giving an improvised, one of a kind performance.


    This is a must-have skill for innovation! Problems are always occurring. Instead of simply fixing them, and getting back to the status quo, recognize them as an opportunity for innovation, and improve the product or service beyond the old normal.


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Friday, April 4, 2025

    How The Economist Sees Trump's Tariffs


    The editor-in-chief of The Economist didn’t mince words about Trump's tariffs: “The question for countries reeling from the president’s vandalism is how to limit the damage.”

    She also referred to "Liberation Day" as "Ruination Day" :-)


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Trump's Tariffs vs. Small Business





    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    New Tariffs Create New Business Needs


    Beyond price, Trump's new tariffs will create new issues for businesses, who are suddenly going to find themselves in need of trade lawyers and experts.  

    They will have to modify their processes to include more customs procedures and documentation.  To the extent that customs coding is like medical coding, it will be an area ripe for AI/automation.

    From a strategy / negotiation perspective, they'll have to think about how much they would be willing to absorb, how much to pass on to customers, and how much they can get others in the supply chain to absorb.


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Sunday, March 30, 2025

    Palindrome Fun

    "Mr. Owl ate my metal worm" is a palindrome, just like the "taco cat" who hunted the owl...

    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Thursday, March 27, 2025

    Interesting Angle to Houti Raid Signal Group Chat Controversy


    One interesting angle to the whole signal group chat controversy is that some were wondering if they were using signal because the official systems are a pain to use on a day-to-day basis.

    I don't know if that is true in this case but, as a general principle, user friendliness is an important part of security.  If, while making something secure, you trade off the usability, and make it very inconvenient to use, that actually diminishes security, because it tempts people to find work-arounds, so they can get their work done.


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Thursday, March 20, 2025

    Pine Cone in Snow Haiku

    I just saw a pine cone lying in the snow and felt the urge to write a haiku:

    Pine cone in the snow
    Lying in peace on its side
    Contrast brown and white

    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Wednesday, March 19, 2025

    Project Management tool: Frustrations Journal


    #Projectmanagement tool: blank sheet labeled “Frustrations”. At any time, if something frustrates you, no matter how small, write it down! Don’t analyze, just note it. After the project, go back to it, and you’ll probably get some good ideas for improving your processes.



    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Friday, March 14, 2025

    Roman Numerals


    I can’t remember how to write 1, 1000, 51, 6 and 500 in Roman numerals. 
    I M LIVIDI can’t remember how to write 1, 1000, 51,6and500 in Roman numerals.I M LIVID

    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Wednesday, March 12, 2025

    The Power of Stubs


    If you have to gather data on several items (for example sub-topics for a book), or addresses for several contacts, etc., and you only currently have some of them, then create "stub" entries for the others.

    The stubs serve two purposes: first, it makes sure that you do not forget to add them.  Second, it helps you fight procrastination to see empty stubs.

    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Saturday, March 8, 2025

    Proactive Cyber Security


    One of my clients randomly sends fishing emails to their employees.  If they click on them, they have to attend a training class 🙂


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Wednesday, March 5, 2025

    Don't Be A Content Creator

    Don't be a "content creator". Instead, market yourself as a "marketing/branding strategist".

    The bottom line about content creators: They are like ghost writers. Except that, instead of using the client's IP to create books, they are creating posts, articles, videos, etc.

    If someone markets him- or herself as a content creator, they will attract clients who are at the stage where they've decided on the vehicle (i.e blog post) and topic.  Now they want a pair of hands.

    Instead, by marketing him- or herself as a  "marketing/branding strategist," they will attract clients who are in the "what should we do stage." That means higher fees, lower labor, less competition.  

    After helping clients determine the vehicle and topic, then they can offer the option to have them write the content (for a large fee) or get a commodity resource to do it. 


    © 2025 Praveen Puri

    Wednesday, February 19, 2025

    Testing Musk's New Grok 3 AI on X


    I was just testing out Musk’s #Grok3 on X. It’s pretty good. I asked it to create three javascript programs for me:

    1. Displays a break dancing dog.

    2. A dancing bear.

    3. prompts you to enter a color, and displays a block of that color.


    It created all three programs in split second

    I just copy/pasted each program to a file and ran them on my browser.



    © 2025 Praveen Puri