lululemon’s Post

🚀 Mission Accomplished & New Horizons Ahead! 🚀 Hey LinkedIn, After 2 years at Allegro Mall Group as the head of Mall engineering and later the head of Mall and CZC technology organizations, I wrapped up my mission earlier this summer. I'm proud to say it was a success! With the help of my amazing colleagues, we: 🔍 Navigated the due-diligence phase for Mall Group's purchase by Allegro. 🔄 Transformed the organization from Mall to Allegro, changing the organization from 200 to 2000 tech team members! 🚀 Launched allegro.cz and brought in Mall and CZC as vendors without incidents and on schedule. 💰 Identified and implemented numerous savings to optimize operations during an ecommerce downturn. ✅ Kept things running smoothly, achieving the lowest ever annual downtime for the Mall platform It's been a journey of growth, challenges, and invaluable experiences. Since the time I left the company, I… 🌴 I took some time off not just to recharge, but to dive deep into personal and professional development. In our fast-paced industry, staying updated is a challenge, especially when juggling work and family. The time I was able to spend on this has been invaluable! 🤖 I've dived deep into the captivating world of generative AIs, particularly Stable Diffusion. The pace at which this field is evolving is nothing short of light speed. And I’ve had Chat GPT by my side as my coding companion for my coding project. The incremental value of using generative LLMs to enhance one’s workflow is off the charts 📈 🏋️♂️ On a personal note, I've been prioritizing my health. I admit, I've overlooked some warning signs in the past, thinking I was invincible. A severe back issue was a wake-up call, reminding me that health should never take a backseat. 🤝 I've also been reconnecting with industry peers, friends, and exploring exciting business ideas that I can't wait to share with you all soon. ⚓ Oh, and did I mention? I'm on my way to obtaining a sea captain’s license! But in the end I found one thing: I need a purpose-driven job. As surprising as it might sound to some, I've realized that having a job, a mission, is integral to my identity. So, as I embark on this new chapter, I'm open to opportunities and collaborations. Anchors away and full sails ahead to the next adventure! ⚓🌊" #NewBeginnings #GenerativeAI #CareerJourney #LetsConnect

Breaking Retail News: Walmart Shutters Tech Incubator! Walmart Inc. has decided to bid adieu to its in-house tech incubator, Store No. 8, marking a significant shift in its innovation strategy. The retail giant, however, asserts that this move doesn't signal a retreat from pioneering tech solutions but rather reflects the seamless integration of technology throughout its operations. Store No. 8, inaugurated in 2017, aimed to unearth innovative solutions for future business applications, envisioning a timeline of three to five years. The closure signifies a graduation of capabilities that are now deeply woven into Walmart's organizational fabric. Walmart CFO John Rainey emphasizes, "The responsibility to shape the future of retail is now shared by all segments." Scott Eckert, Senior VP of next-gen retail and head of Store No. 8, is reportedly parting ways with Walmart. While details about potential layoffs or reassignments within Walmart remain undisclosed, this move underscores the evolving dynamics of tech innovation within the retail giant. Noteworthy projects incubated by Store No. 8 include Walmart's foray into the metaverse, with recent expansions on Unity and immersive experiences on Roblox. Additionally, it served as the creative hub for initiatives like text-to-shop and the "Intelligent Retail Lab" in Levittown, N.Y., delving into AI-based technologies. As the retail behemoth reported robust earnings and revenue growth in the latest quarter, the decision to sunset Store No. 8 aligns with the ever-changing landscape of retail tech. A lot of eyes in the industry are looking at leaders like Walmart. How do you think that will affect the retail industry? #RetailInnovation #Walmart #FutureOfRetail

I think we all frequently take part in the conversation about whether our orgs build products based on real end customer, end user input. In my experience the most common answer is "No, we wish! We just get an exhaustive requirements list from Sales & Marketing" Less common is "We build some of our user feedback in, mostly from complaints" Even less is "we invite focus groups and end users in to our innovation lab" Personally I have never been somewhere that took the lab to the natural environment of the end user/ end customer. I enjoyed watching this Nordstrom video... (that is already 10 years old!) Imagine how much simpler this would be to carry out now, with all the subsequent technological advances.... you might even have made a sale or generated product revenue by the end of the week. It only takes the decision to give it a try. I count around 5 people for a week... most companies can waste that amount of investment in a couple of hours not doing this "flash build" The glass polarisation discovery might be worth the investment alone. When helping with ways of working (which can be viewed through a product lens - we are creating a new culture - new behaviours and ways of thinking) I will often suggest that the bosses hot desk amongst product teams and individual contributors. There is a lot to be gained from the interactions and what might be termed “legitimate peripheral participation” (from Situated Learning, Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger, 1991)

Technology companies are learning that in order to mature, they need to shrink. Meta and Amazon recently reported their fourth-quarter earnings and both companies saw their shares soar. This is due to their ability to do more with less. Investors are drawn to companies that can maximize profits while minimizing expenses, especially cash, which is valued above all else. Traditionally, the tech industry has reinvested excess cash back into growth, but in the past year, companies like Meta have shifted their focus to capital preservation. Meta recently announced they will pay a quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share and authorized an additional $50 billion stock repurchase plan. The key to success for these companies is their ability to reinvent themselves, invest for the future, and play offense while managing expenses in a tough environment.

If a product or service’s intended audience is multigenerational, then it’s simply good business to have a multigenerational...team...designing and developing it.

🌍 Exciting Times in Seoul with LG Electronics! 🌟 I recently had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with LGE's talented design teams in Seoul, working on innovative products tailored for the Latin American market. 🇰🇷➡️🌎 During this collaboration, I shared insights about Latin America with LGE's corporate design team: 🔸 Latin America is as vast as the US and China combined, with a population of over 650 million people. 🔸 The region comprises more than 20 countries, with Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru as its largest markets. 🔸 Renowned for its rich cultural diversity, Latin America boasts vibrant food, music, cinema, literature, design, and architecture. 🔸 The warmth and friendliness of its people are reflected in their passion for sports and a strong sense of community. 🔸 The innovation ecosystem is thriving, with numerous unicorn startups emerging from the region, such as Mercado Libre (e-commerce), Nubank (fintech), and Rappi (delivery services). In my lecture, I also highlighted 4 key principles of human-centered design: 🔹 Inspiration: Draw insights from real-life user experiences. 🔹 Co-creation: Engage with stakeholders and users in the design process. 🔹 Experimentation: Prototype and test to refine ideas. 🔹 Storytelling: Communicate solutions effectively through compelling narratives. I am grateful for the chance to contribute to LGE’s mission of delivering exceptional user experiences and look forward to seeing these amazing products come to life! 🚀 A special 'thank you' to the LGE design team for their collaboration and warm hospitality. If you're interested in human-centered design and cultural insights, let's connect! #DesignThinking #Innovation #HumanCenteredDesign #LatinAmerica #Collaboration #UserExperience #GlobalDesign

Years ago The Luxury Institute, LLC first expressed the concept that at many true luxury brands the P&L often has 3 layers of percent of customers who account for percent of revenues: First Tier: 5/40 (primarily UHNWs) Second Tier: 15/30 (primarily HNWs) Third Tier: 80/30 (primarily Aspirationals) In economic downturns, the first two tiers tend to remain Resilient (not Immune) while the third tier reduces consumption. In 2023 we started with the first two tiers more steadfast despite a downturn. As the global economy has worsened due to key factors (inflation, high borrowing rates, wars, China challenges, etc) one less acknowledged factor that has affected luxury is stealth white collar layoffs and the fear and uncertainty created. And it’s not only in Tech. It’s everywhere. AI will only create more white collar layoff fear, at least short term. The high interest rate momentum damage will carry into 2024 even if the global Feds reverse course. We expect a tepid year for the industry, with Tier 2 consumers experiencing more turbulence than in 2023. The effects will be felt differently category by category, brand by brand. Each brand will help mitigate the luck factors by investing in the SKILL factors that drive high performance. We wish you good luck and great SKILL. We teach luxury goods and services brands how to master the SKILLS to Outlearn, Outperform and especially, Outbehave your competition.#luxurylifestyle #luxury #luxurybrands #lvmh #lvmhtalents #layoffs2023 #layoffs #ai #chatgpt #luxuryfashion #luxurygoods #luxurymarketing #luxuryexperience #apple #meta #amazon #microsoft

I want to become so big in tech industry that I can monopolize any product and give your small startup no space to breathe the fresh air thus choking you to death, DO YOU? The best word is "TOGETHER". Lets work together to create strategy and assets that completing destroys any other product even the so called "Tech giant" in the market and leaves us standing as the indisputable ones. Are you in the #ecommerce market, to hell with Amazon. In the #software industry?, shit on google. #fashion and #luxury ?, I don't want to know what the hell Nike is. #medtech ?, then who are you kidding, stop wasting your time trinna talk about the startup and save some good ass lifes. What are you complaining about? I'm a really hungry person with a huge appetite, till you are too, don't complain about anything and remain in a messed up place like a light pole. I'm out, peace - no, actually, no peace, if you want remain a losser. #xboringtech #webdesign #monopoly #agency #softwaredevelopment #brand

 POV: Times Square is not a spot reserved only for the elites anymore. Last year, we took a pledge to shoot your personal brand to peak, and in that hope, we launched a campaign called “#BeAvailable”. We featured some of our prodigious creators, professionals and experts on billboards of Times Square and the phenomena became an overnight sensation.  As a company, topmate.io thrives on experimenting, we always try giving the best possible resources to our creators, be it through manual networking, periodic community challenges/ campaigns or simply sharing insightful data. And here we are, back with same zeal and warmth with #BeAvailable 2.0, this is an immensely proud moment for me and I obliged to all the efforts that each of our participants has put in.  My team members  Dinesh Singh and Shubham Khoker visited Times Square to get the ground details about the same, they measured the scale and impact of live execution of our campaign.  Honestly, the past nine months were full of relentless working and sleepless nights.  As a result, we have been able to scale our daily transactions from 10,000 to 7 lakhs, with a whopping 4000+ monthly active user base. That said, Topmate’s priority still remains undistracted, it is to provide you with the best possible platform that helps you earn your worth. We will keep on thriving to retain your faith in us with perpetuity.  P.S. Here's a glimpse of the most cherished moments where our marvellous gang of creators got featured on Times Square. 1. Khushboo Verma 2. Jahanvee Narang 3. Shafiqa Iqbal 4. Vatsal Nahata 5. Sumit Kumar Singh 6. Mandakinee Gupta Eager to see more of your faces on Times Square ❤️ !