Polymathic

Digital transformation, higher education, innovation, technology, professional skills, management, and strategy


  • Branding and Human Cognition

    Branding and Human Cognition

    We are essentializing beings. That is, our way of knowing the world tends heavily towards looking for the essential, the typical, and the regular. We tend to see the general, the core, the one single “thing” that summarizes, encapsulates, or explains what we’re looking at.

    And this is the core thought behind the importance of branding.

    This post will discuss something that is at the heart of everything we do as human beings. It also shows why we have marketing and branding companies at all. Finally, it shows why I love this business so much.

    We are essentializing beings. That is, our way of knowing the world tends heavily towards looking for the essential, the typical, and the regular. We tend to see the general, the core, the one single “thing” that summarizes, encapsulates, or explains what we’re looking at.

    And this is the core thought behind the importance of branding.

    With a person, it’s the person’s “character” that we can see among all the details of their everyday life. Similarly, with a company, it’s the “brand” of that company that we see.

    This sort of essentializing is not voluntary. We just tend to do it, because of how our human experiencing works. We need some general, reliable data to anchor our experience. We can’t function without this keystone. The essence “holds together” our experience by continually tying it together with some key ideas. (If you’d like to know more about this theory of experience, and its origin in Aristotle and Husserl, just let me know.)

    So, it’s not that we would like a person to have a character, it’s that we expect and look for a person’s character. When we look for this essence of the person, his/her character, we look for what’s the true nature of the person, what s/he is “really like”. If we can’t find one, it’s confusing and awkward. We say this person “has no character”.

    And it’s the same way with companies. To us humans, a company is surprisingly like a person. It has a name. It seems to be taking action in the world. And so, we expect it will have an essence. Not a character exactly. But, for a company, we expect it to have a brand. We are looking for what’s essential about a company. And when we find nothing, to apply Stein’s observation about Oakland, we might say “There is no there there.”

    Thus, a company’s brand is not some veneer laid on top of its true operations. A company’s brand is its true nature. We need the brand to fully understand the company. Thus, good branding is identifying and revealing what’s essentially true about a company. And good communications is ensuring that everyone gets the right message.

  • Bookmark: The Career Ladder Is Dead—Here’s What To Climb Instead

    Bookmark: The Career Ladder Is Dead—Here’s What To Climb Instead

    “Reject the ‘Eureka’ Myth: Innovation isn’t magical; it’s incremental. Foster steady progress over romanticized breakthroughs.”?20:1†source?
    The Career Ladder Is Dead—Here’s What To Climb Instead

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  • Bookmark: New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    Bookmark: New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    “Your knowledge base is a reflection of your brand — every detail contributes to how users experience and interact with your content.”
    New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    The February 6, 2025 article on Aha! software introduces new customization options for enhancing the branding of your product knowledge base. Aha! Knowledge allows organizations to align their knowledge base’s appearance with their brand identity by providing expanded theme colors and font controls, enabling a cohesive design aesthetic. Users can choose up to seven primary and secondary theme colors, set default fonts and sizes, and enhance the homepage with clickable logos and thumbnail images. The introduction of Collections facilitates better organization and accessibility of content by using structured labels.

    These enhancements aim to make the knowledge base more intuitive and visually appealing, contributing to a professional and uniquely branded user experience. Aha! Knowledge encourages users to explore the new branding features to create a more engaging and recognizable platform. The software serves as an AI-powered hub for product information, also integrating capabilities from Aha! Whiteboards. Prospective users are invited to take advantage of a free trial, participate in live demos, and explore the benefits that have made Aha! a trusted tool for over a million product builders.

  • Bookmark: OpenAI’s ‘Deep Research’ Can Actually Make Professional Reports With Citations

    Bookmark: OpenAI’s ‘Deep Research’ Can Actually Make Professional Reports With Citations

    A standout quote from the article is: According to OpenAI, “deep research was rated by domain experts to have automated multiple hours of difficult, manual investigation”?4:0†Paul Welty Personal Manifesto.txt?.
    OpenAI’s ‘Deep Research’ Can Actually Make Professional Reports With Citations

    OpenAI’s new feature, Deep Research, embedded within its ChatGPT, showcases the company’s advancements in autonomous AI functionalities. Targeting professionals within science, finance, engineering, and policy, this tool produces comprehensive reports akin to those crafted by research analysts. Operative through the o3 reasoning model, Deep Research can autonomously browse the internet, interpret and synthesize information from diverse digital sources, including text, images, and PDFs. Currently available for ChatGPT Pro users, it is slated to expand to other subscription levels. The service emphasizes high-level research, managing tasks that typically require multiple hours in a notably reduced timeframe. OpenAI highlights its utility in domains requiring detailed, technical insights, providing significant time savings in complex problem-solving scenarios. This innovative tool, however, has limitations, such as its potential to ‘hallucinate’ or inaccurately fabricate information, urging users to review its outputs critically. Despite these challenges, Deep Research has achieved high benchmarks in AI testing, outperforming other AI models in simulated assessments?4:0†Paul Welty Personal Manifesto.txt?.

  • Bookmark: How OpenAI’s new ChatGPT agent can do the research for you – access it here

    Bookmark: How OpenAI’s new ChatGPT agent can do the research for you – access it here

    How OpenAI’s new ChatGPT agent can do the research for you – access it here

    OpenAI’s introduction of the Deep Research agent in ChatGPT marks a significant advancement in AI capabilities, offering users a tool that can autonomously conduct comprehensive research. This feature, powered by an optimized version of OpenAI’s o3 model, excels in multi-step research processes by gathering and synthesizing information from the web into detailed reports in a matter of minutes, a task conventionally demanding hours from a human researcher. Deep Research is particularly beneficial for professions that require intensive knowledge work, like finance and engineering, as it can efficiently locate niche information through myriad online resources. However, OpenAI cautions users to verify the generated information, as the agent may, albeit at a lower rate than previous models, hallucinate facts or make incorrect inferences. Initially available to ChatGPT Pro users, Deep Research will be extended to other subscription tiers, reflecting OpenAI’s phased rollout strategy. The tool’s performance, notably surpassing other AI models in benchmark tests, demonstrates its potential to redefine digital research capabilities. Despite its high utility, OpenAI highlights the necessity of human oversight, especially in discerning authoritative information.

  • Bookmark: Why tomorrow’s breakthroughs will come from polyintelligent thinking

    Bookmark: Why tomorrow’s breakthroughs will come from polyintelligent thinking

    “Nature is far more intelligent than we humans have ever understood.”
    Why tomorrow’s breakthroughs will come from polyintelligent thinking

    The future of innovation hinges on polyintelligent thinking, which integrates three key intelligences: human, artificial, and nature’s intelligence. This approach moves beyond the current focus on human and AI fusions, embracing the adaptive and insightful patterns in nature as identified by luminaries like Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci’s work reflected an understanding that nature’s intelligence, seen in systems such as plant communication, insect swarm behavior, and whale songs, can inform broader, interconnected systems of knowledge. This holistic vision is especially pertinent today as the convergence of these intelligences promises breakthroughs, particularly in biotechnology. Polyintelligence is reshaping fields from synthetic biology to drug development by unlocking new possibilities through the synthesis of natural models, human insight, and AI-driven analysis. The Human Genome Project exemplifies this, where continued fusion of these forces provides novel medical insights. Additionally, polyintelligent approaches are enabling the crafting of unprecedented proteins for therapeutic uses, showcasing nature’s linguistic framework. In summation, embracing nature’s intelligence alongside human and artificial intelligence could lead to profound advancements, offering richer solutions to global challenges.

  • Bookmark: New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    Bookmark: New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    “Your knowledge base is a reflection of your brand — every detail contributes to how users experience and interact with your content.”
    New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    The recent updates to Aha! Knowledge empower users to align their knowledge bases with their brand identities. This integration is achieved through expanded customization options, allowing for a coherent visual experience. Users can now choose up to seven theme colors, control font settings for articles and headers, and enhance their homepage designs with features like thumbnail images and clickable header logos. These changes ensure that the knowledge base serves as a seamless brand extension, fostering trust and enabling efficient information retrieval.

    Aha! Knowledge also introduces “Collections,” which are structured labels designed to organize content efficiently, thus improving search result relevance. Advanced administrators can modify branding directly within their settings to tailor the user experience. The internal application of these enhancements at Aha! demonstrates an intuitive and cohesive interface through changes in color palettes, button styles, and font selections.

    Ultimately, these updates offer more substantial means for creating a professional and user-friendly knowledge base that reflects brand uniqueness. For those interested in exploring these capabilities or consolidating documentation with planning, Aha! offers trial versions and demonstrations of its AI-powered product information hub.

  • Bookmark: Dell’s CEO, Michael Dell, Requires Full In-Office Work Starting From March

    Bookmark: Dell’s CEO, Michael Dell, Requires Full In-Office Work Starting From March

    One notable quote from the article is: “Michael Dell said that in-person teamwork is important because quick talks can replace long email chains.” This highlights the company’s perspective on the efficiency of face-to-face interaction?18:0†source?.
    Dell’s CEO, Michael Dell, Requires Full In-Office Work Starting From March

    Starting in March, Dell will mandate full in-office work on all weekdays, bringing a close to remote operations for most of its workforce. CEO Michael Dell communicated this transition, requiring employees near office locations to attend daily, with remote work continuing only for those further away. This move reflects a broader trend among tech giants, with many requiring office returns post-COVID, aiming to harness face-to-face collaboration benefits like increased speed and creativity. Despite dissent suggesting that this policy might encourage employee exits, Dell asserts it as a continuation, not a sudden policy change. Earlier steps included mandating global sales staff office presence in September and hybrid work from early 2023. This shift parallels actions by others such as Amazon and JP Morgan Chase, illustrating a split in corporate approaches to remote work retention. For Dell, the change signifies adapting to traditional office routines may pose challenges but is deemed necessary for enhanced team performance and engagement?4:0†Paul Welty Personal Manifesto.txt?.

  • Bookmark: How leading universities are preparing the future workforce with digital and human skills

    Bookmark: How leading universities are preparing the future workforce with digital and human skills

    “With over 5,800 university courses on Coursera, they now make up more than 60% of the entire catalog and accumulated over 24 million enrollments in 2024 alone.”
    How leading universities are preparing the future workforce with digital and human skills

    Leading universities are increasingly preparing the future workforce by integrating digital and human skills into their curricula. With online enrollment growing faster than on-campus programs across many U.S. institutions, universities are expanding their offerings on platforms like Coursera. In 2024, nine additional universities, including Clemson University and the University of Oxford, joined this trend, contributing to over 650 new courses, primarily in business, data science, and computer science. A significant portion of these courses addressed the burgeoning field of Generative AI (GenAI), aligning with its expected growth trajectory.

    Noteworthy courses attracting learners included project management, communication, and AI-driven applications, reflecting the urgency of these skills in modern employment landscapes. Courses in managing financial risk, machine learning models, and language proficiency from institutions like Yale and Stanford saw high enrollment numbers. Universities continue to emphasize foundational skills such as leadership, writing, and emotional intelligence, responding to a workforce increasingly dominated by AI. These institutions remain pivotal in cultivating essential transferable skills, with courses like “The Manager’s Toolkit” and “Leadership Skills” exemplifying this role, ensuring adaptability in evolving job markets.

  • Bookmark: New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    Bookmark: New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    “Your knowledge base is a reflection of your brand — every detail contributes to how users experience and interact with your content.”
    New ways to brand your product knowledge base

    Aha! Knowledge introduces advanced customization features to blend your knowledge base seamlessly with your brand. These updates offer extended theme colors, diverse font options, and enhancements to the homepage such as clickable logos and adjustable button styles. Such customization fosters user trust and helps them navigate content more efficiently. Moreover, the introduction of “Collections” allows for structured labeling, enhancing content organization and aiding search functionality. Administrators can access and explore these new branding settings within the platform, ensuring a coherent and intuitive user experience. The platform also employs AI to further refine product knowledge bases, providing a comprehensive tool for sharing critical information with colleagues and customers. With over a million users, Aha! Knowledge continues to be a reliable resource for creating effective product documentation while supporting complex planning and road-mapping tasks. These developments aim to make your knowledge base a professional and unique testament to your brand.

About Me

Visionary leader driving digital transformation across higher education and Fortune 500 companies. Pioneered AI integration at Emory University, including GenAI and AI agents, while spearheading faculty information systems and student entrepreneurship initiatives. Led crisis management during pandemic, transitioning 200+ courses online and revitalizing continuing education through AI-driven improvements. Designed, built, and launched the Emory Center for Innovation. Combines Ph.D. in Philosophy with deep tech expertise to navigate ethical implications of emerging technologies. International experience includes DAAD fellowship in Germany. Proven track record in thought leadership, workforce development, and driving profitability in diverse sectors.

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  • Daring Fireball

Favorite podcasts

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