AI and Automation: Repeatable Patterns for Learning, Consulting, and Growth with Erik Gross (2/2)

Nerd Journey: Career Advice for the Technology Professional

How many questions should you ask before offering your opinion? If you’re working as a consultant in tech, Erik Gross would advise not offering your opinion until you have the full context of the problem to be solved and the organization you’re trying to help. Erik’s recommendations for being successful as a consultant follow a repeatable pattern. And just as the consultant needs context to be effective, the learner needs context like an understanding of terminology when learning a new technology.
In episode 295, guest Erik Gross shares his latest entrepreneurial endeavor and why he’s considering moving to full-time entrepreneurship. Erik will explain the AI and automation space, share some of the interesting tools in that space and their value in the business world, and make some recommendations for further education.
Original Recording Date: 09-07-2024
Erik Gross is a developer, an architect, and an entrepreneur who has been very active in the tech space over the last 10-15 years. If you missed part 1 of our discussion with Erik this time, check out Episode 294.
Topics – Identity Crisis, A Pattern for Learning and The Expert’s Curse, Success as a Consultant, Entrepreneurial Growth and Pressure, Landing in the AI and Automation Space
* This is a return visit for Erik to our show. You can find our previous discussions with him in the following episodes:
* Episode 267 – A Theme of Learning with Erik Gross (1/3)
* Episode 268 – Ownership through Failures: An Entrepreneur’s Take on Difficult Decisions with Erik Gross (2/3)
* Episode 269 – Monetize Yourself: Leveraging Your Most Valuable Knowledge with Erik Gross (3/3)
2:49 – Identity Crisis
* If someone builds a business around something (creating training content, for example) and that is no longer their main focus as a business owner, do they start to wonder what the job really is now (almost like a small identity crisis)?
* Erik says this absolutely happens and shares some examples from his experience with The Tech Academy.
* Erik says he wasn’t the one who really knew how grow and run a team, feeling for a while it was a failure of his. Jack was the one who knew how to do these things. But, Erik accepted this was a skill that needed work and started thinking about ways to improve. Even if we achieve success in one or multiple areas, there will be other areas in which we can improve.
* Nothing is going to be perfect. Erik shares how proud he is of the curriculum The Tech Academy has to offer, but he also knows it could be even better. Right now Erik is working a project to review all courses one step at a time and capture what needs to be improved (over 1300 hours of content to review).
* “How much more could it serve our students? How much better could the product be? It’s already really good. That kind of iterative improvement thing…that gets me excited.” – Erik Gross
5:22 – A Pattern for Learning and The Expert’s Curse
* Erik had to build expertise in a new area to get his newest entrepreneurial endeavor started. How can people build expertise in the emerging AI (artificial intelligence)? Or is changing your focus to this area merely chasing something new and shiny?