This episode of the BIG5D Podcast is presented by
Are you claiming and managing your own Google Maps listings?
Meet Local Knowledge, the Leader in “We Do It For You” Digital Location Management and Local SEO Services.
Welcome to Episode 50 of the BIG5D Podcast, a production of BigFive Digital and the Africa B2B Tech Report.
In recent episodes, we have been having in-depth discussions about the latest trends in technology with leaders with deep understandings of how technologies like AI, fintech, blockchain, virtual reality, and so on, are moving the needle for businesses in the region.
We continue in this vein with this episode featuring Dialog Co-founder Neal Polachek. Neal’s new company is conducting some very compelling research on how small businesses are at the leading edge of adopting AI tools to do more with less.
Two quick notes about this episode.
We are breaking an unwritten rule of this podcast to only interview those with feet on the ground in Africa or the Middle East. Neal is based in the U.S. and so far Dialog has only collected data in the States.
Yet the work Dialog is doing to document the evolution of small business AI adoption is important enough to suspend our rule, for one episode at least. Neal makes it clear that Dialog’s ambition is for its research to eventually be globally focused.
Neal also references “The Kelsey Group” early in the conversation. TKG was an advisory services firm focused on SME digital transformation where Neal and I both worked for many years. The Kelsey Group was among the earliest organizations to do research focused on how SMEs are embracing new technologies.
Neal cites a variety of reasons for the apparent anomaly of SMEs leading the way in AI adoption. The usual pattern is for SMEs to lag larger companies in adopting new technologies. But in the end, it all comes down to AI tools being inexpensive and easy to use. And the leverage they produce for SMEs is immediate and material.
As noted, Dialog is currently conducting its research in the U.S. but has plans to begin collecting data about SME AI adoptions around the world. In addition to survey research among SMEs (and digital agencies in a recent wave), Dialog conducts direct video interviews to add color and context to the survey data. These video interviews, in addition to the survey data, are part of the Dialog offering.
In this clip, Neal shares an anecdote from one of the SMEs he interviewed.
What Neal says in this clip gets to the essence of why AI is such a game-changer for small busines ses. “Their [SME’s] most precious thing is time. And this tool is saving them time.”
Five Things We Learned
Here are our five key takeaways from this conversation with Dialog’s Neal Polachek.
* Small businesses are leading the way in AI adoption, bucking the usual pattern of enterprise companies adopting new technologies before SMEs.
* This pattern has flipped because AI tools are inexpensive, easy to use, and produce immediate and tangible time savings for SMEs.
* Therefore, unlike in previous waves of technology innovation, SMEs are eager to adopt AI.
* Neal acknowledges that keeping the human element will remain critical with AI, especially among small businesses.
* Neal expects a wave of vertically focused AI-driven virtual business coaches to emerge as the next wave of AI product innovation for SMEs.
You can also listen to this episode on your favorite podcast apps. Please rate and review the BIG5D Podcast if you do enjoy the show on these apps.
If you prefer to watch the interview with Neal on YouTube, here it is.
Recommended Reading
The following is a curation of content from around Africa, the Middle East, and the world related to big tech, digital marketing, small business, startup life, venture funding, M&A, and more. Please vote with your clicks to tell us what we should curate for you in future editions.
Fintech Theeper Returns Money to Investors
TikTok Launches SSA Safety Council
Mango Expands in Africa
UAE Payments Platform Ziina Raises $22M Series A
Climate Remains a Bright Spot for Africa Startup Funding
Launch Africa Ventures Raises Mezzanine Impact Fund
What Are the 10 African Countries with Lowest Business Bribery Risk?
How to Solve the Late Payments Crisis for SMEs
Mastercard, ChitChat Team Up to Address African Digital Payments
Dentsu Performance Celebrates Third Anniversary in SA
The BIG5D Podcast features in-depth conversations with the leaders who are building, investing in, or taking to market the digital products and services designed to make businesses more successful in Africa and the Middle East.
The BIG5D Podcast is available on Substack as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please follow, comment, rate, and review the BIG5D Podcast. Your engagement helps others discover us so they can learn more from the amazing builders and thought leaders we feature on the show.
To recommend a guest for the podcast or discuss sponsoring an upcoming episode, please write to us at [email protected].
Please stay tuned for information on future BigFive Digital live and virtual events.
Thank you Local Knowledge for sponsoring this episode of the BIG5D Podcast.
ICYM: Recent Episodes of The BIG5D Podcast
Episode 49: Author, investor, and university professor Steven Boykey Sidley is never at a loss for words, nor does he fear controversy. In this conversation, Sidley shares his deep knowledge and strong opinions on the hottest technology issues, including the implications of AI and blockchain for business and society.
Episode 49 is sponsored by Frational.dev
Episode 48: “Banking as a Service” In this episode Houssam Kayal, the Chief Revenue Officer of FOO shares some deep insights on how trends like embedded finance and banking as a service are transforming businesses from grocers to telecoms into fintechs.
Episode 48 is sponsored by Frational.dev
Episode 47: “Solving the SME Funding Gap” In this episode Vula Co-founder & CEO Nic Rawhani shares how artificial intelligence can help close Africa’s massive SME funding gap by making the process of applying for loans faster and easier for SMEs and de-risking the process for lending institutions.
Episode 47 is sponsored by Realm Digital
Sponsored Message
The Craft of Conferencing is an events consultancy and content agency offering turnkey conference management, public speaking coaching, podcast production, and content creation. Journalist, podcaster, and event producer Charles Laughlin leads The Craft of Conferencing.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ctlaughlin.substack.com/subscribe
