Michael Fauscette

Michael Fauscette

CEO & Chief Analyst

Arion Research LLC

Michael Fauscette

What has been your business/work highlight of 2024 so far?

Continuing my podcast on AI and business automation, Disambiguation, into season 2. The podcast has 36 episodes so far, 14 in season 2. The audience is growing nicely, and I have a good backlog of potential guests who want to continue the weekly show.

Who is your business hero and why?

Steve Jobs – he revolutionised the tech industry with a twin focus on innovation and user experience. He didn’t just create new products, and he made them beautiful, and intuitive and completely changed how we interact with technology. His relentless pursuit of perfection in every detail, from design to functionality, made Apple a leader and continues to inspire. Favourite quote: “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology”.

What’s the biggest business mistake you’ve made and what did you learn from it?

Moving too fast making changes without getting your staff on board. It’s easy to assume that people on your team see the same issues and solutions you do, but often that’s not the case. Change management is essential, even in a startup. The concept of move fast and break things is great, but only works when you move a good portion of the team along so that everyone is aligned on what, how and when to make changes.

What’s the most inspirational book you’ve ever read and why?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The protagonist, Santiago, starts out on a journey to find wealth and along the way learns that it’s the journey, not the destination that matters most and that the real treasure is inside.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role in 2024?

The business is a little over 2 years old, and the focus is still on acquiring new customers and growing revenue. The biggest challenge beyond driving growth is the timing of adding additional staff to support that growth.

What technology will have the greatest impact on your business this year and why?

Generative AI. From two perspectives, one is using the tools to increase productivity and reduce costs. The second is providing research to help guide businesses on the use cases and building an overall AI strategy.

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