In the most recent episode of SMACtalk Live, Brian is reporting live from the IBM Interconnect event, while Daniel points out he isn’t sure if the lost voice was a result of the hard work or the Aerosmith concert. Along with some great insights from the event on cloud and mobile, Brian had the opportunity to watch from the front row as three of the judges from the ABC hit show Shark Tank were there to judge 3 IBM selected startups. Barbara Cocaron, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John were on stage and we even got to mention dancing with the stars on a tech podcast as Robert gave a preview of his dance moves as he just announced he would be on the newest season of the hit show Dancing with the Stars.
Three Pitches:
1. @Rosieapp – Shop online from local grocers for delivery or in-store pickup
2. @AndiamoHQ – 3D Scanning Healthcare solutions for kids
3. @TheWakingapp – Augmented Reality Manuals
NewWayToWork and Future of Business are a common theme here on SMACtalk and although the show stands for Social Media Marketing, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud, our goal is always connecting these technologies to business goals. This was also emphasized on stage as the startups pitched the sharks, focusing too much on the technology, instead of the business value and the problem the product was going to solve.
Although the technology is the exciting part of the conversation, too often people focus on technology for technology sake, rather than what business value and how will this technology make my life easier.
Daniel shares his thoughts on Brian’s take on the shark tank while also giving advice on how businesses and leaders can approach pitching their technology by coming at it from a different view. 
Brian also shares how he ended up with a Shark hat on for the meet and greet with the sharks, thanks to the Pure Matter Design Thinking Event the night before.
A theme of this episode is are “we” the technology business leaders asking the wrong question when it comes to internet of things, big data, wearable technology and many other innovative trends.
Brian shared why he thought TheWakingApp pitch was his favorite but he felt they led with the wrong value and use for the product as it could be a great training on their device for future updated technologies as traditional user manual and training guides don’t keep up with updates.
Brian and Daniel wrap up the show talking about future trends and what could be learned from these type of experiences for all of us that have that raw entrepreneur spirit.
Daniel and Brian will be broadcasting live next week at the world’s greatest mobile event: Mobile World Congress. From wearable devices to connected cars and homes, mobile technology is at the heart of worldwide innovation. As an industry, we are connecting billions of people to the transformative power of the Internet and mobilising every device we use in our daily lives.
As they explained at the end of the show remember you can always use the hashtag #SMACtalk on twitter to submit your feedback, suggestions and questions you have for future episodes.
Memorable Quotes from the Sharks at IBM Interconnect 2015.“I don’t know if I’m in right away, but I know if I’m out right away.” ~@BarbaraCorcoran“The shorter the message; the clearer the advice.”@RobertHerjavec“You’ve got to be in the game to win.” ~ @robertherjavec
This episode is sponsored by IBM to help companies envision a #NewWayToWork and also IBM Verse, their new revolutionary social & email solution, can free up time for you to focus on this by calming your email. Sign Up Here: IBM.com/Verse
What is the future of work? How can large organizations collaborate, integrate, and innovate quickly enough to survive at the speed of their customers?
To find the answers, IBM and PureMatter brought together influential futurists and thought leaders for full-day Thinkathon. Read their insights and learn how you can prepare for the future of work. http://ibm.com/Futurists