Latest news with #BI
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thinking of becoming a manager? Consider this first, Salesforce exec says
Salesforce exec Patrick Stokes advises against going into management by default or simply to advance up the ladder. He told BI that he became a manager because he wanted to lead others and share his vision. Stokes said if you value personal growth, you should be willing to try out new roles that aren't necessarily a level up. Transitioning to management might feel like a natural next step in your career. However, Salesforce executive Patrick Stokes cautions that it might not necessarily be the right path for everyone. "I think it's easy for people to be enamored with the growth of kind of, moving up the ranks, rather than the growth of themselves personally," the executive vice president of product and industries marketing told Business Insider. Stokes, in a conversation during Salesforce's Agentforce World Tour in New York City, said whenever people tell him they want to move into management, he asks them why. Usually, people say that "it's the next step," he told BI — and that's not enough of a reason. "No, you need to know why you want to be a manager, because now you have to inspire a team," Stokes said. "You have to think about your day-to-day job very differently." Salesforce EVP of talent growth and development Lori Castillo Martinez echoed a similar sentiment in a previous interview with BI. "Being a deep expert isn't always an indicator of being a great manager," she said, adding that collaboration and task management skills are more important, and the best managers are those who can analyze their teams and maximize productivity. Responsibilities naturally shift when you transition from an individual contributor to a manager. Stokes said that if you take on a management role, you may not be able to do some of the things you value. Stokes, who started out as a developer and transitioned multiple times in his career, said he moved into management because he wanted to be a leader, and he was already acting like one. The Salesforce executive showcased the contrast in responsibilities between an individual contributor and a manager at the company's Agentforce conference. At the executive level, the job involves more than simply managing massive teams — it can often include public speaking at high-profile events. Stokes, for example, gave a keynote address at the event, opening with an energetic anecdote about recent events in New York City. Then, he introduced the company's digital workforce of AI agents, Agentforce, along with other speakers, all while walking through an auditorium of hundreds of people and talking directly to a video camera that trailed him. Stokes said he's always had strong opinions and a desire to rally others around his vision. From the time he was in high school, he found himself leading projects, despite frequently sitting in the back of the classroom. He said he didn't announce himself as the leader, but he was often the one coming up with ideas and convincing others to get on board. "That's what you really need to have if you want to go into leadership," Stokes said. Stokes said that as soon as he feels "not nervous" about an event or meeting, he wants to try something new, and he's a big advocate for changing roles. The exec said some people tend to "think too narrowly" about changes and only want to switch roles if it's "growth within the org chart." Stokes said that can be tough to find. "If you value the growth, the personal growth that you're gonna get from that new role, enough, you should be willing to take a step back to go forward," Stokes said. Outside of leading Salesforce's product and industries marketing team, Stokes said he likes to play chess. He said there's a concept in chess called a "gambit" — fans of the hit Netflix show "The Queen's Gambit" will be familiar — where you make what appears to be a bad move, but is actually designed to get a reaction from an opponent. Stokes said that's how he likes to think about his career changes — seemingly risky but strategic long-term. "When I first went into marketing, a lot of my peers and product were like, 'Why are you going to marketing?' And I'm like,'Just wait. It'll be fine. I'm gonna be great,'" Stokes said. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta is working on plans to open retail stores, internal communication shows
Meta has an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, an internal communication seen by BI shows. Meta has been planning to open physical stores and hire retail workers, a move that could mirror Apple's retail strategy. Meta's retail ambitions come as it seeks to boost sales of hardware products like its smart glasses. Meta has been working on plans to open physical stores and hire retail workers, Business Insider has learned. The company has an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, which is not broadly known internally yet, according to an internal communication seen by BI. The communication also said Meta plans to hire retail employees. Meta has only one physical retail space, called Meta Store, which it opened on its campus in Burlingame, California, in 2022. The store lets shoppers test out some of its hardware products, including its Meta Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, much like its rival Apple, which has more than 500 retail stores globally. It's unclear how many stores Meta might open and on what timeline, but it experimented with the idea last year by opening a pop-up store, Meta Lab, to sell its smart glasses in Los Angeles. Meta declined to comment. An expansion could give a sales boost to its hardware products, such as smart glasses, which Meta sold more than 1 million units last year. In an all-hands meeting earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was a "great start" but "not going to move the needle and the business in a core way." He added that 2025 would offer an indication of whether the product line will become a "long-term grind" and whether, in the near term, AI glasses will become a "really prominent computing platform." The company is also on a mission this year to "drive sales, retention, and engagement," according to an internal memo written by CTO Andrew Bosworth last year. He also said Meta plans to launch half a dozen more AI-powered wearables this year. Meta is set to face more competition in that space in the future, with OpenAI this month acquiring former Apple design chief Jony Ive's startup to build a new type of device for the AI era. Meta wouldn't be the first Big Tech company to venture into retail stores. Amazon opened its first brick-and-mortar store in late 2015 and has since expanded with different brands, including Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go. However, Amazon has scaled back some of those stores in recent years. Apple, meanwhile, has made brick-and-mortar an important part of its sales strategy. Its sleek stores are located in flagship locations around the world, and are designed to be a space where consumers can explore its suite of products and engage with the brand. Microsoft closed all of its retail stores during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but continues to operate a small number of "Experience Centers" and more than 40 "Innovation Hubs." Have a tip? Contact Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@ or Signal at jyotimann.11. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta is working on plans to open retail stores, internal communication shows
Meta has an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, an internal communication seen by BI shows. Meta has been planning to open physical stores and hire retail workers, a move that could mirror Apple's retail strategy. Meta's retail ambitions come as it seeks to boost sales of hardware products like its smart glasses. Meta has been working on plans to open physical stores and hire retail workers, Business Insider has learned. The company has an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, which is not broadly known internally yet, according to an internal communication seen by BI. The communication also said Meta plans to hire retail employees. Meta has only one physical retail space, called Meta Store, which it opened on its campus in Burlingame, California, in 2022. The store lets shoppers test out some of its hardware products, including its Meta Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, much like its rival Apple, which has more than 500 retail stores globally. It's unclear how many stores Meta might open and on what timeline, but it experimented with the idea last year by opening a pop-up store, Meta Lab, to sell its smart glasses in Los Angeles. Meta declined to comment. An expansion could give a sales boost to its hardware products, such as smart glasses, which Meta sold more than 1 million units last year. In an all-hands meeting earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was a "great start" but "not going to move the needle and the business in a core way." He added that 2025 would offer an indication of whether the product line will become a "long-term grind" and whether, in the near term, AI glasses will become a "really prominent computing platform." The company is also on a mission this year to "drive sales, retention, and engagement," according to an internal memo written by CTO Andrew Bosworth last year. He also said Meta plans to launch half a dozen more AI-powered wearables this year. Have a tip? Contact Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@ or Signal at jyotimann.11. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Meta is working on plans to open retail stores, internal communication shows
Meta has an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, an internal communication seen by BI shows. Meta has been planning to open physical stores and hire retail workers, a move that could mirror Apple's retail strategy. Meta's retail ambitions come as it seeks to boost sales of hardware products like its smart glasses. The company has an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, which is not broadly known internally yet, according to an internal communication seen by BI. The communication also said Meta plans to hire retail employees. Meta has only one physical retail space, called Meta Store, which it opened on its campus in Burlingame, California, in 2022. The store lets shoppers test out some of its hardware products, including its Meta Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, much like its rival Apple, which has more than 500 retail stores globally. It's unclear how many stores Meta might open and on what timeline, but it experimented with the idea last year by opening a pop-up store, Meta Lab, to sell its smart glasses in Los Angeles. An expansion could give a sales boost to its hardware products, such as smart glasses, which Meta sold more than 1 million units last year. In an all-hands meeting earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was a "great start" but "not going to move the needle and the business in a core way." He added that 2025 would offer an indication of whether the product line will become a "long-term grind" and whether, in the near term, AI glasses will become a "really prominent computing platform." The company is also on a mission this year to "drive sales, retention, and engagement," according to an internal memo written by CTO Andrew Bosworth last year. He also said Meta plans to launch half a dozen more AI-powered wearables this year.
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Thinking of becoming a manager? Consider this first, Salesforce exec says
Transitioning to management might feel like a natural next step in your career. However, Salesforce executive Patrick Stokes cautions that it might not necessarily be the right path for everyone. "I think it's easy for people to be enamored with the growth of kind of, moving up the ranks, rather than the growth of themselves personally," the executive vice president of product and industries marketing told Business Insider. Stokes, in a conversation during Salesforce's Agentforce World Tour in New York City, said whenever people tell him they want to move into management, he asks them why. Usually, people say that "it's the next step," he told BI — and that's not enough of a reason. "No, you need to know why you want to be a manager, because now you have to inspire a team," Stokes said. "You have to think about your day-to-day job very differently." Salesforce EVP of talent growth and development Lori Castillo Martinez echoed a similar sentiment in a previous interview with BI. "Being a deep expert isn't always an indicator of being a great manager," she said, adding that collaboration and task management skills are more important, and the best managers are those who can analyze their teams and maximize productivity. Responsibilities naturally shift when you transition from an individual contributor to a manager. Stokes said that if you take on a management role, you may not be able to do some of the things you value. Stokes, who started out as a developer and transitioned multiple times in his career, said he moved into management because he wanted to be a leader, and he was already acting like one. The Salesforce executive showcased the contrast in responsibilities between an individual contributor and a manager at the company's Agentforce conference. At the executive level, the job involves more than simply managing massive teams — it can often include public speaking at high-profile events. Stokes, for example, gave a keynote address at the event, opening with an energetic anecdote about recent events in New York City. Then, he introduced the company's digital workforce of AI agents, Agentforce, along with other speakers, all while walking through an auditorium of hundreds of people and talking directly to a video camera that trailed him. Stokes said he's always had strong opinions and a desire to rally others around his vision. From the time he was in high school, he found himself leading projects, despite frequently sitting in the back of the classroom. He said he didn't announce himself as the leader, but he was often the one coming up with ideas and convincing others to get on board. "That's what you really need to have if you want to go into leadership," Stokes said. Stokes said that as soon as he feels "not nervous" about an event or meeting, he wants to try something new, and he's a big advocate for changing roles. The exec said some people tend to "think too narrowly" about changes and only want to switch roles if it's "growth within the org chart." Stokes said that can be tough to find. "If you value the growth, the personal growth that you're gonna get from that new role, enough, you should be willing to take a step back to go forward," Stokes said. Outside of leading Salesforce's product and industries marketing team, Stokes said he likes to play chess. He said there's a concept in chess called a "gambit" — fans of the hit Netflix show "The Queen's Gambit" will be familiar — where you make what appears to be a bad move, but is actually designed to get a reaction from an opponent. Stokes said that's how he likes to think about his career changes — seemingly risky but strategic long-term. "When I first went into marketing, a lot of my peers and product were like, 'Why are you going to marketing?' And I'm like,'Just wait. It'll be fine. I'm gonna be great,'" Stokes said.
