NLP Logix’s CEO, Ted Willich, was recently featured on a podcast discussing how NLP Logix was a trailblazer in using machine learning to boost productivity, revenue, and efficiency, way before AI became the hot topic it is today!
The following is a brief excerpt from the conversation, edited for length and clarity.
What is it like to look around and have AI be a buzzword when you’ve been in whatever you want to call it — that field of big data stuff — for more than a decade?
The first couple years trying to make a sale was very difficult, because of just trying to explain what can be done using machine learning. For the first few years when AI became a buzzword, we fought it: We’re like, ‘no, it’s not AI, it’s really machine learning.’ And we still contend that to this day — but we’re gonna lose that fight. So we just said, alright, we’ll call it AI, there’s just going to need to be some pretty big leaps forward for it to become true artificial intelligence.
The joke around here is AI is how we sell it and machine learning is how we deliver. But it’s been good in the sense that there’s an awful lot of experts out there now that kind of found their way and they’re helping to evangelize. It has helped the company and our exposure since we have been doing it for so long, successfully.
With AI being both hot and on the cutting edge, how difficult is it to find employees to fill your needs?
We’ve really been fortunate in the way we’ve been approaching growing the team. We’ve really boiled the machine-learning solution pipeline into consumable chunks. We’re kind of a combination of a software development shop and also a consultancy. We’re very custom; we’re very bespoke. I would say the key really has been just breaking those tasks down and then bringing in people and training them up. Training here is absolutely continuous.
You’ve talked about how lifelong learning is part of the company’s DNA. What have you learned over the past 13 years about leadership?
Oh, man — a lot, and I continue to learn more and more every day. The challenges of the labor market were extraordinary tight: We opened up a couple of teams over in the Philippines and a team in Serbia. Before Covid, I never would have even thought of doing anything outside the US. It really opened my eyes to the number of talented people out there.
On the business front, just growing a company from a couple of dudes meeting at Taco Lu, just going from zero to pushing $30 million a year in revenue — the growth pain and changes and everything has been a real lesson.
Don’t miss this insightful conversation! https://lnkd.in/eNi3K_3s
