DoT Blog

Image by Tumisu (Pixabay)   A Practical Analysis of Economic Policy Shifts As someone who typically avoids political discussions, I feel compelled to address the significant implications of recent global trade developments for the technology and software sectors. This analysis aims to provide an objective view of potential impacts while inviting constructive dialogue on preparation strategies.   Current Situation Within the past week (as of April 3rd), the White House announced tariffs of at least 10% affecting all countries, with China promptly responding with countermeasures on all US goods. These developments signal what many analysts suggest is an escalating global tariff conflict that requires attention from technology industry stakeholders.   Key Effects on the Technology Industry   1. Supply Chain Disruptions and Cost Increases Industry analysts suggest the 34% tariff on Chinese goods and 32% on Taiwanese imports will significantly disrup...

  Image courtesy of OpenAI On January 23, 2025, OpenAI unveiled its Operator project , an advanced AI agent designed to autonomously perform tasks on the web, marking a significant milestone in artificial intelligence development and taking the company on a path to expand its offerings into the fast-growing market of AI agents. Understanding Operator Operator is a research preview of OpenAI's so-called Computer-Using Agent (CUA) model, which combines GPT-4o's vision capabilities along with advanced reasoning through reinforcement learning to interpret screenshots and interact with graphical user interfaces (GUIs)—the buttons, menus, and text fields people see on a computer screen—just as human users do. This capability allows Operator to automate various tasks—like filling out forms, booking travel, or even creating memes—by remotely interacting with a web browser as a person would, via mouse clicks, scrolling, and typing. Key Features and Capabilities The design of OpenAI’s ne...

With over 30 years in the software and technology industry — yep, I’m officially old — I’ve encountered all sorts of work situations. While most have been positive, some have been challenging. And often, the root of these issues wasn’t about software implementation but rather the way interactions unfolded between teams, particularly between managers and their subordinates. I appreciate how professional groups foster positivity and encouragement in the professional world — we’re all here to do our best, right? But let’s be real: conflicts happen, and mistakes are made — by all of us, me included. In this series (which could be two parts, three, or who knows, a hundred), I’ll be addressing some of the common issues I’ve observed in management. My goal isn’t to label anyone as a “good” or “bad” manager. Instead, I want to encourage reflection on certain practices we might adopt, often unknowingly, that don’t always serve our teams, ourselves, or our organizations in the best way. This is ...