What CMOs Can Learn from Technologists

In recently taking on a role as an agency CMO (thanks, MRY), one of the stories I found interesting about the move is that someone with a role that focused on scouting emerging tech was moving into a marketing management position. Now, I've never been a technologist by a classical definition – "a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems," as I&39;ve been more of a resident technophile. But nonetheless, the technologist title has been used more broadly, so I took a broader look at which values technologists embrace that translate well to marketers. That&39;s the theme of the latest byline in Ad Age. 

The article begins:

Chief marketing officers will always need to craft strategy, communicate effectively and manage a team. But now, and in years to come, they will benefit from paying close attention to technologists. Here&39;s what CMOs should learn from them:

Rapid prototyping.&0160;3D printing&0160;is the best known form of rapid prototyping, creating physical parts from digital data. The name is much more fitting than terms like "optimization" or "experimentation" that try to capture the challenge of constantly adapting and innovating. Rapid prototyping means coming up with an idea, bringing it to life and then conceiving the next idea while the first program is hatching. While it has been around in some form since the 1980s, rapid prototyping is just starting to enter the broader professional lexicon, and it may move into popular parlance from here. Current tools and technologies allow anyone to engage in rapid prototyping. But relatively few will do it well.

There&39;s much more, including:

• Collaborate in a zero-sum game
• Stay up on the skills that matter
• Live in constant beta

Read the whole piece at Ad Age, and let me know what else you think marketers can learn from technologists.

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