I was reading this weekend the editorial by Corey Powell in the latest issue of Discover magazine
We live in an increasingly- quantified world. People know about movie grosses and YouTube views. They know exactly how many friends they have (thank you, Facebook), make purchases based on numerical customer ratings, and compare distances and traffic along different travel routes on Google Maps. DNA paternity tests are available for $30 at Walmart. This relentless quantification is changing the way we judge what is true and meaningful. It is no coincidence that fact-checkers became a central part of the political conversation in this last election.
And while I agree that is true with consumer tech, I think in many ways we have regressed in enterprise world. I devoted 3 chapters in my recent book about how financial analysts, industry analysts and regulators are steps behind all the innovations (and related issues) at the companies and industries they track – see excerpt below from the chapter on regulators.
Today’s shocking news about HP/Autonomy will bring out plenty of he said/she said. The reality is even our professionals are not completely in step with complex revenue recognition as hardware and software and outsourcing blend in multi-year deals, as reseller and other channels rapidly evolve, as cross-border business becomes the norm.
As in consumer tech, most of us need to step up and help the “fact-checkers”. Whistle-blowers, tough bloggers and analysts, nosier auditors, regulators with teeth can all help. We have a long way to go in enterprise tech.