Summary: To fix a nagging old tech problem, take one small step towards fixing it. I saw a post to this effect on LinkedIn. Everybody’s trying to use AI to transform their business. I’m wondering how to get payroll off an Excel spreadsheet. Everybody has this problem. You have some old timey, inefficient process you’ve…
Summary: I’ve discussed the topic before, but some readers have asked me to have a more comprehensive go at it, with more specifics about the technology and – most especially – what to do to prepare. In brief, the future of content discovery belongs to AI agents, and the change is coming very soon. The…
In the February edition of The Krehbiel Letter I discuss the contradiction between “done today is better than perfect tomorrow” and “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” In today’s podcast I discuss two contradictory proverbs from the King James version of the Bible. Proverbs 26:4-5 4. Answer not a fool according to his…
Summary: Marketing automation saves time and increases efficiency but can fail spectacularly if not managed properly. This article highlights common pitfalls, such as data errors, unintended campaign expansion, and system failures. It emphasizes proactive monitoring, collaboration, and regular audits to prevent costly mistakes. Marketing automation is a great tool. It allows companies to set up…
Business leaders should aggressively seek out second opinions from outside their organization. Here are ten reasons why. You’re working with incomplete information. No matter how much you’ve researched the topic, you almost certainly missed something. A second opinion may reveal gaps in your knowledge or alternative sources of insight. You’re surrounded by people who have…
Summary: The partisan divide in the country, in which we all live in our own epistemic bubbles, isn’t a cultural or political shift — it’s a consequence of the technologies that make it easy for anyone to become a content creator. Attention is limited, but content is almost unlimited. In that situation, content that provokes…
Summary: Our obsessions shape how we see the world. Instead of resisting them, we can harness them—finding what’s interesting to build an audience and what’s actionable to create value. Are you ready for the flood of posts, videos, and tweets about “Marketing Lessons from the Big Game,” or “Why the Halftime Show is a Branding…
Summary: Listening to Beowulf exposes you to “kennings,” which are vivid, unexpected expressions — usually a pair of words — that put a different spin on a name or concept. Unlike AI’s predictable phrasing, creative language like kennings breaks linguistic patterns, making content more engaging, memorable, and uniquely human. While I was heating the pan…
Summary: The entire body of “fair use” law assumes human actors. It should not be applied to AI systems without modification. I saw some discussion on LinkedIn about applying the concept of fair use to AI systems like ChatGPT. Fair use is a legal doctrine under U.S. copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted…
In all the complaints I’ve seen about the ban on TikTok, the one thing I haven’t seen enough of is any recognition of the reason for the ban. It’s all “boo hoo, we’re losing a platform.” What about the fact that the U.S. government and dozens of state attorneys general have levied some serious claims…
Summary: This article questions conventional marketing wisdom, arguing that every campaign might not have to have hyped, benefits-focused messaging with an urgent call to action. Maybe the market needs different messages at different times. The temptation to marketing apostasy started when I heard Mark Stiving talk about features vs. benefits. It’s relatively standard these days…
Summary: AI struggles with relevance realization, a human ability to prioritize meaning across contexts. Businesses should evaluate AI systems’ relevance handling, integrate human feedback, and ensure human support for key interactions. In the beginning of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” Evelyn Greenslade (played by Judi Dench) has just lost her husband. In the midst of…
Summary: Mark Zuckerberg defends reducing censorship and fact-checkers on Meta, replacing them with community notes to promote free speech. His move is a response to algorithmic errors, ideological bias, and the threats to First Amendment principles inherent in internet censorship. Mark Zuckerberg has been taking heat for his recent decision to back away from the…
Summary: For now, excellent content requires a human writer, but creative teams are being downsized in hopes that AI can fill the gap. When Moses told Pharoah to let his people go, Pharoah said, “I guess these guys have too much time on their hands. From now on they have to make the same quota…
Summary: It’s no surprise that employees and executives have different opinions about what’s wrong with the workplace. Is one of these disconnects the belief that employees want to be like the executives? My friend Todd Lebo from Ascend2 sent me a copy of the Arbinger Institute’s 2024 Workplace Trends report. What caught my eye was…