As remote working became the norm during the pandemic, more businesses have integrated AI to help things run smoothly and effectively. From improved chatbots and personalized virtual assistants in the retail and healthcare sectors to smart-learning software for education , AI systems can understand and support customers at an advanced level.

Even when AI is used to automate parts of marketing strategies, it’s clear that it’s a much more efficient way of collecting and analyzing data, allowing businesses to better understand their customers, and freeing up more time for interpreting the data and using it to improve every stage of the customer journey.

But are we taking advantage of this game-changing tech as much as we can?

With the ability to gather and analyze behavioral data, operate with real-time integration and prediction, and autonomously create a continuous loop of learning and improving, there are endless possibilities we can leverage to better serve our customers.

We spoke with four fast-growing scale-ups from Techleal’s Rise Program me to find out some unique ways they’re harnessing the power of AI to ramp up their customer experience.

Using AI for better trading

Trading and investing in the stock market might seem a little daunting to the average person. That’s why BOTS is simplifying the experience for their users by providing AI bots they can use to make profits easily and autonomously. Colin Groos, CCO & Founder of BOTS told us:

“We democratize this world of professional, automated trading. The ordinary citizen can now trade via the BOTS app in the same professional manner as the banks and asset managers have been doing for many years. They say that when someone wins on the stock exchange, someone always loses. That’s true. Now BOTS makes this a level playing field. Anyone in the world will have access to professional strategies.”

The human brain really can’t compete — bots provide much faster calculations, can better assess risks, and predict the best trading strategies. Some bots even additionally use machine learning to continuously improve themselves as they gain more knowledge from the market. Anyone with a knack for creating algorithms is able to upload their own bot to the platform, either for themselves or for other customers to use — the benefit being the creator makes a profit each time another user trades with their bot.

When it comes to deciding which bot to invest in, you can browse through the strategies, checking the detailed descriptions that give you an explanation of the strategy, tips from the bot creator, risk level , and also past performance results. Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you’re ready to make your decision and start trading.

Using AI for a better experience at leisure venues

For visitors and venues alike, overcrowding can be both an annoyance and also a safety hazard. In light of the pandemic, crowd control is a much higher priority as venues begin to open up again.

With Convious ’ Crowd Control tech, venues are able to optimize the customer experience and improve the spread, convenience, and safety of visitors. Through the use of AI and real-time data, the ticketing system automates capacity planning and improves traffic flow at leisure venues.

For example, AI-powered smart time slots detect patterns in visitors’ behavior and automatically increase ticket prices at peak times, encouraging visitors to book time slots that are less busy. Queuing for a parking spot in the car park is another headache for visitors, but thanks to AI analyzing data captured from customers’ parking behavior, this process is also made more efficient. Equally, heat-mapping and smart messaging helps to control the flow of crowds inside venues.

As more venues increasingly understand the importance of using AI for this, Convious has seen a spike in demand for their services. Camiel Kraan CEO at Convious told TNW:

“The majority of e-commerce platforms are data-driven and understand the power of data and how to use AI to optimize their results. They’re result-focused rather than feature-focused . However, most of the established ticketing vendors for venues are still feature-focused. In order to optimize results, you need marketing and data DNA at the core of your company, and in that regard, our offering is quite unique.”

Using AI to better understand and distribute video content

Customers don’t expect to struggle when searching for content, especially when it comes to the entertainment and media platforms they’re using. With so many options out there, if a specific video is proving hard to find, it’s likely users will drop off and look elsewhere.

As Roland Sars, CEO & Co-owner of Media Distillery explained, “consumers are becoming more critical and selective about how they spend their time, and on which platforms.”

That means media companies, especially the more traditional brands that are now adapting from TV to digital , have to step up their game to survive and thrive.

Media Distillery solves this problem by providing AI solutions that diagnose video content , from facial and speech recognition, to object, logo, and even subject recognition. For example, face recognition can be used to notify users when their favorite athletes, politicians, or pop stars are on TV. This makes it easier for an online platform to drill down, categorize, and personalize their video content recommendations, making it easier for their users to find exactly what they want to watch.

“The demands of the entertainment industry are rapidly changing, so it’s important for video platforms to really stand out and keep attracting viewers. At Media Distillery, we believe this starts with a better understanding of what content you have to distribute or display,” Sars told TNW.

Using AI to optimize home deliveries

Shopping online has never been easier, and e-commerce has grown exponentially over the last decade. Especially during the past year while most of the world experienced lockdowns, the number of online orders exploded , challenging logistics companies to step up their game in order to deal with the sheer volume of deliveries and meet customers’ expectations.

At the same time, as Michel Boerrigter Founder of Plotwise explained, this is also taking a toll on the environment, “the rise of e-commerce comes with a cost; without intervention, this unparalleled demand for last-mile transport will significantly increase traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and congestion. Smart last-mile optimization is one of the key ingredients moving forward, and we at Plotwise have proven to be able to reduce this impact by up to 20%.”

Plotwise provides a Planning API to e-commerce companies and delivery operators, optimizing the last-mile delivery process. By focusing on service optimization, collecting more accurate data, and using machine learning to make better routing decisions, Plotwise is able to minimize errors and offer a better customer experience.

“I believe we need to shift our mindset from supply to demand. Customers want their packages delivered quickly, safely, and sustainably. We encourage our partners to diversify into urban network infrastructures and new modalities like e-bikes, low emission vehicles, or even foot deliveries and perhaps someday even drones. AI-powered last-mile home delivery is an absolute necessity to win in the new reality,” Boerrigter told TNW.

Final thoughts

It’s clear that AI is useful for all kinds of businesses, and is a powerful tool that takes both operations and results to the next level. As Boerrigter accurately described,

“Modern AI technology can turn today’s performance into tomorrow’s improvement. If you analyze tomorrow’s performance in the same way, you’ll create a learning loop that continuously refines the operation. Learn. Execute. Realize. Repeat. Every single day.”

This article is brought to you by Techleal .

4 salary negotiating scenarios in tech interviews — and how to navigate them

This article was originally published by Michiel Mulders on ult by Honeypot , a Berlin-based community platform for developers. For the latest updates, follow ult by Honeypot on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , Linkedin , and YouTube .

You’ve just landed a job interview for a technical role. Congratulations!

As a next step, you’ll likely want to learn more about the salary bands for the role, or a recruiter asks you about your salary expectations. Therefore, different situations can occur when negotiating your salary during a tech interview.  This article presents you with different situations you can expect during a tech interview and how to handle them correctly.

But first, what do you negotiate during a salary negotiation?

What is a salary negotiation?

Let’s make the following clear before we dive into different salary negotiation scenarios. Many developers don’t understand the full meaning of salary negotiations. The first thing that comes up in their mind is agreeing on their future salary. Yet, that’s not all!

Imagine a situation where you get an exciting salary offer that is higher than your target salary. However, the salary offer comes with few vacation days and no budget for personal development. Would you accept this offer even though it meets your salary expectations? Better not.

To make my point clear, avoid focusing on the final salary number. A salary negotiation encompasses many perks besides the final salary number, such as:

Health insurance

Number of days off

Learning budget or days allocated to personal development

Company holiday

Possibility to work from home

Flexible working hours

Company phone or laptop

Subscriptions for popular services, such as Netflix or Spotify

Budget to install a home office

In short, a salary negotiation involves all perks associated with a job offer. Next, let’s handle different situations during a tech interview in regard to your salary.

Situation #1: What’s your current salary?

Many tech recruiters try to figure out your current salary. This information is valuable for tech recruiters. It allows them to optimize their offer based on your previous salary.

Remember that tech recruiters work for a company to save them money during the recruiting process. Imagine your current salary amounts to €45,000. A tech recruiter can ask for this number and offer you a 10% increase, which amounts to €49,500. That’s a great offer! However, you might not know that the tech recruiter has a much larger margin for hiring new employees. The tech recruiter has likely received an upper constraint, for instance, €60,000.

Therefore, it’s beneficial for you not to disclose your current salary. Here are possible answers to this question.

Sorry, I don’t feel comfortable disclosing my current salary.

I can’t disclose my current salary as it’s private information that I can disclose only with my hiring manager. I hope you understand this.

Situation #2: What salary do you expect?

Again, try to avoid answering questions regarding your salary expectations. As mentioned before, recruiters receive salary bands for particular skill levels.

Therefore, try to point this question in the opposite direction. It’s best to receive a salary offer from your recruiter, so you can start the negotiation from this point.

The following replies would work well in this situation.

“Thank you for this question. We’ve already had an extensive interview process in which I’ve shown my skills and cultural fit. I trust you to provide me with a salary offer based on this information that fits the company’s needs. We can start the salary negotiation from this point. How does that sound?”

“I’m sure you are familiar with my skill level and what would be an appropriate salary offer. I trust you to provide me with a fair salary offer. I hope you understand this.”

If a recruiter doesn’t want to provide a salary offer before knowing your salary expectations, ask them for the salary bands. This information allows you to confirm that your salary expectations fall within or outside these bands. It should give tech recruiters a good insight into your expectations.

In short, tech recruiters have interviewed plenty of candidates to provide you with a reasonably accurate estimate of your worth. Make sure to first receive a salary offer before disclosing your salary expectations. If that’s not possible, ask for salary bands.

Situation #3: Sorry, we can’t offer the salary you expect

What if a tech recruiter or company rejects your requested salary?

Most often, that’s not a good sign. Perhaps, the company doesn’t have the means to offer you the requested salary.

When negotiating a salary, you should ask for 5 to 10% more than your target salary. This strategy leaves room for negotiation. On top of that, you can opt to negotiate better job perks as a compromise to a lower salary, such as more vacation days or a larger learning budget.

Therefore, not everything is lost when a company rejects your salary request. Send them a counter-offer that is 5 to 10% lower or change some of the job perks in your favor. You show your willingness to negotiate your salary and interest in the company.

Here’s an example reply to handle this situation.

“Hey, I appreciate your honest reply regarding my salary expectations. As I would like to join the team, let’s try to negotiate a job offer that works for both of us. Perhaps you can change the offer by including more job perks, such as vacation days or an increased learning budget. How about that? I’m looking forward to your reply.”

Situation #4: What do you think of a salary worth $X?

Lastly, a company offers you a salary of $X, how do you react? Several scenarios are possible depending on your target salary or current salary.

Your current salary or target salary is higher than the offered salary?

In this situation, it’s important to express your willingness to join the team while asking for their best offer. It’s your final chance to receive a better offer.

“Thank you for this offer. Although I would like to join the team, this offer is lower than my current salary. Is this the highest salary you would like to offer me?”

Your current salary or target salary is equal to the offered salary?

In this situation, you can either ask for a better salary or negotiate job perks such as extra vacation days or more days allocated to personal development. Sometimes it’s worth accepting a job with a similar salary that provides you with more benefits.

“This is a good offer. As it sounds very encouraging, I would say we are close. Is it possible to discuss other benefits, such as receiving 40 vacation days instead of 30 vacation days?”

Your current salary or target salary is lower than the offered salary?

Excellent! Most people would accept this offer. But remember there’s always a margin for salary offers. In this situation, it’s best to negotiate better perks and agree on the salary.

“Thank you for the offer! I think we are on the same page about the salary. Yet, I would like to discuss the number of vacation days. Is it possible to increase the number of vacation days to 40 days? That would be appreciated!”

Should you ask for a higher salary than your target salary?

Many software engineers feel uncomfortable negotiating their salary. It’s a natural response as you aren’t a sales manager, business developer, or tech recruiter trained to negotiate offers.

This section answers your question if you should ask for a higher salary than your target salary. The answer is simple – yes!

To provide yourself with more margin for negotiation, ask for a salary that’s 5-10% higher than your target salary.

Some of you are afraid of applying this strategy as you might miss out on interesting opportunities. Most companies know about the salary negotiation game and won’t abort an interview process based on your salary request. On top of that, they’ve already invested time in you and shown their interest in hiring you.

In the end, if a company aborts the salary negotiation process, perceive it as a good filter. Don’t feel bad about missing out on opportunities that are not worth your attention. Most likely, the company can’t offer you the target salary.

In conclusion, don’t go blindly in an interview. You should know your ideal outcome, what you compromise on, and what’s your lowest outcome you are willing to accept. Also, make sure to research the company. A recently funded company will have higher salary bands than a self-supporting startup.

3 efficient tips startups should steal from old-school corporates to grow

I became a COO at Tools for Brokers when I was 22 years old. Back then, the team consisted of 12 people sharing one office in St-Petersburg, Russia. Fast forward to eight years later, and we have more than 80 people spread across four offices. Our turnover, income, and product range have grown exponentially. Today I have vast experience, and I am confident in my decisions, but it wasn’t always like that.

At the beginning of my journey, I sought advice and guidance from those I’ve perceived as the ultimate knowledge base — top managers of the big companies. Through multiple conversations with C-level employees of massive industrial companies, corporate giants, and businesses established in the previous century, I have realized that many of the things I talk about are either alien or nonsense to them.

Despite some obvious differences in our views on the world, future, and management, I have had three major takeaways from our discussions. I believe these takeaways can help many startups evolve and bring their A-game.

1. Information must flow out of the heads and straight into the text

Sounds poetic, but this one is actually quite straightforward.

In the beginning, startups typically have from one to 10 people in the team. Often, the culture reminds you more of a family, with its unwritten rules, inside jokes, and common understanding of how things are done. It’s all fun and games until you wake up a couple of years later, and you see that some people left, some people joined, and nobody fully understands what the agreements and procedures are.

Now it may sound boring, but everything must be written down : the processes, the workflow, the decisions made.

Don’t underestimate the value of a handbook with its basic rules and requirements for work. Not only does it help avoid unnecessary confusion, but it also helps smoothen the adoption process of new employees. People learn better and faster when they don’t need to play the guessing game.

There isn’t much point in writing things down though if nobody reads it. That’s why you need to make all information readily available to all team members. Keeping a folder with PDFs on your laptop won’t work here, so think through a system where everyone can easily access the data.

2. Build a clear career path for your employees

Another common situation in a startup is having a ‘jack of all trades’ attitude: responsibilities vary day by day, multiple positions are combined into one, everyone is doing more than they are supposed to do according to their job description. Again, it is fun and exciting for some time, but it’s not sustainable in the long run.

If a company truly wants its employees to grow, it needs to let them do the work they are hired to do — and they should excel at it. With everything documented, it becomes apparent when the team is understaffed, and a new person is needed to cover some of the specific tasks.

Documentation also helps uncover areas for improvement. KPI, or key performance indicator, is a fantastic tool that can and should be used for bonus calculations and potential promotions.

It feels like KPIs are a bit underestimated in the IT crowd, and there is really no reason for it. Show your employees the roadmap and clearly explain what is required to get a pay raise or a higher position.

It’s a win-win for both managers and employees when there is a clear path that needs to be followed to succeed. It also gives the team a sense of responsibility and autonomy — they know what is required of them, and they are in control of their future with the company.

3. Build a forecast to reach your goals

I often hear people complain that it’s impossible to know what happens in the future. Although this feels quite accurate for the past 12 months, generally, you can estimate and plan for what is coming.

There is a stage in each successful startups’ life when the product is simply selling itself. Whether you came up with a new niche or presented a unique feature to an existing solution, it looks like customers can’t get enough of your product. You might think that it will last forever, but it never does.

Don’t wait for your sales to sink. Act now: invest in promotion, calculate the time and the size of your estimated returns. You can ‘go with the flow’ and save yourself from data gathering, analysis, and multiple conversations with the teams. However, the result might not be satisfactory in that case. It’s hard to know where you’re going and what will wait for you at your destination if you don’t plan.

That’s why I urge you to stick to your startup’s vision — but plan ahead for a month, a quarter, and a year like a bigger company. Have your positive and negative expectations of market reaction and be ready to re-evaluate the strategy and final goals. Anyone can start a business. It’s keeping it alive and healthy long-tem that is the problem.

There is plenty of information online on how to do all of this in more detail, but the biggest obstacle is usually finding the time. My advice is to break the process into smaller steps: start reading a few articles, then choose one area of improvement per week and start analyzing it. You will be amazed at what can be done within one year.