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Humans have relied on generalizations forever as a mental shortcut — and a way of running a business efficiently. But just as advancements in AI are making it possible to move beyond a handful of customer personas to infinitely personalizable products and messaging, they are also revealing to us a broader world full of ever-changing unique detail. Weinberger, a technology philosopher, and Zanini, a business innovation strategist, show us four areas in which the particular is making itself known and used in business and in life: Strategy, talent management, leadership selection, and supply chain management. Business leaders who see this trend are better positioned to see new opportunities and make better decisions in all these areas.
We say that everyone is unique, yet when faced with more specifics, details, and particulars about a person than we can manage, we strip out what’s unique and deal with generalizations — groupings, stereotypes, and the like. For example, businesses design campaigns for market segments, or create three, src0, or — amazing! — 50 personas.