Tech Trends Explained

Most of the news around web3 makes it sound like the world is going to be drastically different from how it is today. What you'll learn from this interview with Shai Perednik is that the world in web3 is a lot more like the world as it is today than you think. Shai is a Global Tech and Segment Lead for Web3 and Blockchain at Amazon Web Services where he advises web2 and web3 businesses on their tech strategy. When he’s not advising businesses, he’s teaching web3 technical concepts to employees at Amazon Web Services and researching the future of blended reality and sovereign digital societies. 

Shai breaks down how web3 is being built and what that means to anyone that wants to start a business that uses web3.  

Topics that you'll learn about after listening to this episode: 

If there are any topics that you'd like to learn about in this podcast, let me know! Hit me up on Twitter @missjillforde! 

AI that can understand what we want, when we want it is the direction AI is heading. In this episode, I go over the major use cases for AI that understands us through spoken and written words, many of which are called "Large Language models". I also break down how this industry works so if you're looking for a job in this industry or want to use a large language model for your business, listen to this episode. 

NOTE: This podcast is completely separate from my work at AWS. All opinions mentioned in this podcast are strictly of my own and do not reflect the opinions of AWS or my previous employers. 

Large language models and other text/spoken word AI models: 

- Free to use (open source software):  https://huggingface.co/docs/transformers/main/en/index

- Write a text description and the AI creates an image: https://platform.stability.ai/docs/features/text-to-image

- Conversational chat bots: https://aws.amazon.com/lex/  

- Spoken words to text: https://aws.amazon.com/polly/ 

A lot of the hype around crypto is around what the power of crypto could be. In this episode, I talk to Erica Salinas about the use cases that are currently being used for crypto and blockchain and what needs to happen to make crypto and blockchain mainstream. Erica is a Principal Tech Leader for Web3 at Amazon where she helps accelerate web3 projects across the different business lines in Amazon. Previously, Erica was advising central banks, financial regulators, and financial institutions on their blockchain and digital currency projects. She has a masters in engineering and computer science from MIT and development economics from American University.

Erica also gives tips on how anyone can take their existing skills and apply it to a job in the web3 space. 

You can follow Erica on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericamsalinas 

Podcast Erica mentions: http://podcast.banklesshq.com/ 

If want to switch jobs into a new industry, then the robotics industry is worth keeping on your radar.  Robots are going to CREATE MORE JOBS THAN THEY DESTROY! This industry is expected to grow to $81.4 billion by 2028.

And the best part is you don't have to have technical skills to get a job in it. 

My guest, Jess Mckenna, is a Technical Program Manager at Amazon in their Robotics team. She studied Robotics Engineering at the Wocester Polytechnic Institute. 

You're going to think differently about Robots after this episode and get tips on what you can do now to transition into this industry.  The clickbait headlines make robots sound like they are going to take over all of our jobs. But the truth is they are going to take the jobs that WE DON'T LIKE DOING! 

We get into...

...what robots are really good at now

... the skills and kinds of jobs needed now and in the future

Resources:

Hands on learning with an Arduino kit 

Learn C++ the programming language used most in robotics

The robotics industry is approximately a $30 billion industry, but we've only scratched the surface of the potential for robots in our society.  If you want to switch careers into a high growth industry or are just curious to understand how robots work, this is the episode for you. You'll learn the basics of how a robot can grasp certain objects, move and walk. 

If there are certain topics that you want me to cover, contact me on Twitter @missjillforde! 

The self driving car industry is forecasted to reach $21.4 billion by 2030. There's a lot that goes into making a car drive by itself. In this episode, I explain how self driving cars work and the companies that you should look out for if you're looking to get into the self driving car industry. 

Are there any topics that you'd like me to explore? You can leave me a message on LinkedIn or on Instagram @missjillforde. 

DAOs aka Decentralized Autonomous Organizations are a key component to the web3 ecosystem. In this episode, you'll learn what they are and what are possible use cases in the future. 

Questions or topics you want to learn about - send them to Jillian @missjillforde on Instagram. 

With the recent crypto market downturn, you might be wondering if it’s smart to get a job in a web3 company after college. In this episode, I’m going to help you decide if it’s worth getting your first job out of college at a web3 based company. If the answer is hell yes then I’ll also help you decide if should work at a startup or a bigger tech company. 

My name is Jillian Forde and I’ve been in the tech industry for the past 5 years at Amazon Web Services where I get to help companies build businesses in the cutting edge of tech trends. I've worked with fast growing startups and companies as large as Disney, Sony Music and Comcast. This podcast is completely separate from the work I do at AWS and all opinions here are my own.

If you have any questions, feedback or topics that you want me to go over, leave me a message @missjillforde on Instagram.