Way back in the late 1990s, Forrester convened its first Board of Clients — a group of customers that advised us on acquisitions, research, and product direction. Members serve for three yearly meetings (before becoming emeritus) and they have had outsized influence on the strategy of the company.

This week the Board convened for a dinner and a full day in Cambridge. Clients from U.S. Bank, Bank of America, AARP, AG Insurance (Belgium), SAP, NRG Energy, Wolters Kluwer, PetSmart, and Reyes Holdings imparted their wisdom and honesty to set us on a better course. Incredibly valuable — I would advise all organizations to build something like the Board of Clients to make sure they are staying aligned with customers.

The dinner is a wide-open affair and we talked about what has disappointed them about AI and what has pleasantly surprised them. Disappointment:  “The execs said that everyone should be using AI, but there hasn’t been a plan or a ‘why.’ The result has been a lot of AI Theater and wasted motion.” “I’m getting a lot of documents and presentations from my team that are obvious AI junk. People are forgetting how to think.” “My son just graduated from college and he and his buddies can’t find jobs — the entry-level positions have disappeared.” “I planned a trip to Barcelona using a generative model and it got a lot of things wrong — circuitous walking routes, incorrect open and close times for restaurants and museums, and incorrect addresses.”

On the pleasantly surprised front:  “You know, this technology is really helping me save time.” “I’m getting the grunt work done much faster — enabling me to focus on the work that really matters.” “Our software development lifecycle is definitely speeding up.”

As always, the group recommended favorite books and podcasts over dessert. Here’s a partial list:

  1. Grit. An oldie but still relevant — especially in an era of diminishing ambition and work ethic.
  2. The Algorithm. Musk’s operating model.
  3. Situated. Angela Duckworth’s latest (she wrote Grit) on surrounding yourself with people who will keep you inspired.
  4. The Challenge Culture. The former Dunkin’ Donuts CEO makes a case for constructive disagreement.
  5. Turn The Ship Around. Worst-performing U.S. Navy submarine becomes the best via leadership.
  6. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964: Clarke, Bradbury, Heinlein, et. al.
  7. Dolly Parton’s America Podcast:  Dolly in the culture wars.
  8. A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Podcast:  Going deep, deep, deep into the classic rock library.
  9. Desert Island Discs Podcast:  Famous people and the music they would choose if stranded.
  10. Culpability:  Novel that spins a family plot with an AI plot.

Thank you to all present and former Board members!

 

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