Business & Strategy

Creating a Great Company Culture

4 months ago

Culture is what we share; it’s the values, goals, attitudes, and practices that make us who we are as an organization. A strong culture can give your company an advantage by fostering loyalty, creativity, and motivation. But what are the ingredients of positive company culture? Each company has its own unique culture and way of crafting it. The best cultures dovetail perfectly: employees and leaders focus on the same mission and encourage rewards. Discovering the perfect combination, however, doesn’t happen overnight. This article shares our approach and recommendations to create an intentional company culture, offering insights and strategies that any company can apply to nurture a positive environment that leads to success. What is intentional company culture? Every company has a culture. While culture may form organically, consistent and intentional cultivation will result in greater success. Intentional company culture combines organizational values and mission with the rewards of employment that come in four main styles: Loyalty-based. Performance-based. Opportunity-based. Lifestyle-based. No style is better than the other; it’s dependent on the company and the employees hired. For instance, if your staff prefers a lifestyle-based culture (flexible work or other perks) over a performance-based culture (raises and promotions for a job well done), the employees may stay dissatisfied and leave to find a company culture that suits their preference. In InspiringApps’ infancy, the personalities of the relatively few people involved drove our culture. But as the company grew, we were careful to emphasize the characteristics that fostered a positive work environment and eliminated any contrary to what we’ve come to value—empathy, inclusion, and personal growth for our employees. Why do your employees need an intentional company culture? A recent survey found that 79% of employees who left their jobs did so because of a lack of appreciation, and 50% said they were more motivated by appreciation than money. This sounds like a job for company culture! In an ideal world, company culture and performance should work in tandem. Employees who are happy with their jobs have higher satisfaction rates. However, lousy work culture can hurt employees, bringing high turnover rates, burnout, and subpar work. Creating an intentional company culture requires consistency and time. There is no shortcut. Intentional company culture benefits from open minds. Influential leaders seek to: Understand what employees appreciate and what causes them pain. Hear employees’ suggestions for improvement. Follow through with promised changes. Repeat the above frequently. Intentional company culture requires commitment from everyone—especially the leadership team. InspiringApps understands this fundamental truth. An InspiringApps employee explains it best: How To Develop & Maintain a Great Company Culture Engaged employees are critical for business success. Experience is the best teacher, and we’ve learned plenty of lessons regarding things that keep our employees a happy part of the team. We built our culture slowly and methodically, and we’re proud to celebrate strong retention, with over 40% of our staff staying with us for more than five years. Among all the lessons we’ve learned, the following best practices stand apart from the rest: Promote from within. Offer excellent benefits. Be inclusive. Communicate consistently. In the following sections, we discuss each best practice in detail and share our experiences to help every company develop and maintain a great culture. Promote From Within Today’s employees are looking for a company with opportunities for career advancement and appreciate roles with a clear path to growth and promotions, as they give them personal goals to work towards. Along the employee journey, InspiringApps offers professional development opportunities that help our team members stay on top of their skills, expand their capabilities, and incorporate new and developing interests. By doing so, our employees can have long tenures at InspiringApps, while remaining competitive. At the same time, we can hire the best candidates for our growing positions right from our own team. As the InspiringApps client roster scaled, so did our team. We promoted long-time employees into our development team lead roles, recognizing their wisdom and honoring their commitment to our team through their tenure. Offer Excellent Benefits Many startups, including InspiringApps, may be resource-constrained in the early days. Health and retirement benefits are expensive, so we focused first on benefits that didn’t require a direct cash outlay. Establishing a two-day-per-week remote work policy over a decade ago, accommodating part-time employees, and offering flexible work hours were all low-cost ways to treat our team with respect. As InspiringApps matured, we also added more traditional benefits. In addition to a 401(k) plan with match, profit sharing, and a generous and flexible PTO policy, we recently increased the company’s health premium contribution from 50% to 100% and added company-paid vision, dental, disability, and employee assistance (EAP). Be Inclusive Inclusivity is a mandate kept top-of-mind in the projects and clients we take on and the staff we hire and promote. In a historically homogenous industry like tech, inclusivity can be a challenge. Through intentional recruiting and a focus on providing opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups to join the field, InspiringApps is working to build a more diverse team that better reflects the communities we serve. Promoting women in tech is one way we’ve made strides in our company. At InspiringApps, women make up 50% of our leadership team and more than a third of our employees, which is 20% more than the US average. Promoting diversity and inclusion provides various perspectives, which is essential for the challenges we’re addressing in our consumer apps. We consider it a competitive advantage as we continue to innovate for our clients. Additionally, we’ve made a concentrated effort over time to welcome new employees. Years ago, that welcome included a team lunch on Pearl Street. Since our team has grown, that lunch is now digital—and the efforts to be inclusive extend much further than that. Communication and connection are ingrained into the way we set up projects, make progress on initiatives, and more. Communicate Consistently Secrecy and unexplained decision-making from leaders lead to unengaged employees. Transparency is the answer. About 85% of employees are most motivated when they know what’s happening and why. Open and frequent communication, including standups and all-hands meetings, project or team demos, company newsletters, and social media, encourages employees to gain trust in leadership. When you share company goals regularly, your employees will feel confident in knowing the direction they’re working. The more your employees see open communication from leaders and are encouraged to participate in decision-making, the better communicators they’ll be with your clients, modeling positive communication behaviors in everything they do. Technology is your ally when it comes to employee engagement. Offering a Slack channel or other internal chat features, an employee app, or an intranet site where employees can share and talk directly to leaders can inspire a transparent culture. The Value of Culture InspiringApps nurtures a culture of respect, empathy, and inclusivity. Our commitment to culture is exemplified by an official Certified ™ by Great Place to Work ®. But that recognition is only a small window into the little things that our team is doing every day to reinforce the culture we’ve been nurturing for years. Our culture is one of our most valuable assets. It defines our expectations for the way we treat one another. Beyond making InspiringApps a pleasant place to work, our culture is evident in our client relationships and in the apps we create. Building award-winning apps starts with a language that’s foreign to many of us: code. For more than 15 years, our app development team has built easy-to-use iOS, Android, and web applications serving over 100 companies in a dozen industries. See our work.

Each company has its own unique culture and way of crafting it. The best cultures dovetail perfectly: employees and leaders focus on the same mission and encourage rewards. Discovering the perfect combination, however, doesn’t happen overnight.

This article shares our approach and recommendations to create an intentional company culture, offering insights and strategies that any company can apply to nurture a positive environment that leads to success.

What is intentional company culture?

Every company has a culture. While culture may form organically, consistent and intentional cultivation will result in greater success.

Intentional company culture combines organizational values and mission with the rewards of employment that come in four main styles:

Loyalty-based.
Performance-based.
Opportunity-based.
Lifestyle-based.

No style is better than the other; it’s dependent on the company and the employees hired. For instance, if your staff prefers a lifestyle-based culture (flexible work or other perks) over a performance-based culture (raises and promotions for a job well done), the employees may stay dissatisfied and leave to find a company culture that suits their preference.

In InspiringApps’ infancy, the personalities of the relatively few people involved drove our culture. But as the company grew, we were careful to emphasize the characteristics that fostered a positive work environment and eliminated any contrary to what we’ve come to value—empathy, inclusion, and personal growth for our employees.

Why do your employees need an intentional company culture?

A recent survey found that 79% of employees who left their jobs did so because of a lack of appreciation, and 50% said they were more motivated by appreciation than money. This sounds like a job for company culture!

In an ideal world, company culture and performance should work in tandem. Employees who are happy with their jobs have higher satisfaction rates. However, lousy work culture can hurt employees, bringing high turnover rates, burnout, and subpar work.

Creating an intentional company culture requires consistency and time. There is no shortcut.

Intentional company culture benefits from open minds. Influential leaders seek to:

Understand what employees appreciate and what causes them pain.
Hear employees’ suggestions for improvement.
Follow through with promised changes.
Repeat the above frequently.

Intentional company culture requires commitment from everyone—especially the leadership team. InspiringApps understands this fundamental truth. An InspiringApps employee explains it best:

Great Company Culture Blog Quotes 1

How To Develop & Maintain a Great Company Culture

Engaged employees are critical for business success. Experience is the best teacher, and we’ve learned plenty of lessons regarding things that keep our employees a happy part of the team. We built our culture slowly and methodically, and we’re proud to celebrate strong retention, with over 40% of our staff staying with us for more than five years.

Among all the lessons we’ve learned, the following best practices stand apart from the rest:

Promote from within.
Offer excellent benefits.
Be inclusive.
Communicate consistently.

In the following sections, we discuss each best practice in detail and share our experiences to help every company develop and maintain a great culture.

Promote From Within

Today’s employees are looking for a company with opportunities for career advancement and appreciate roles with a clear path to growth and promotions, as they give them personal goals to work towards.

Along the employee journey, InspiringApps offers professional development opportunities that help our team members stay on top of their skills, expand their capabilities, and incorporate new and developing interests. By doing so, our employees can have long tenures at InspiringApps, while remaining competitive. At the same time, we can hire the best candidates for our growing positions right from our own team.

As the InspiringApps client roster scaled, so did our team. We promoted long-time employees into our development team lead roles, recognizing their wisdom and honoring their commitment to our team through their tenure.

Great Company Culture Blog Quotes 2

Offer Excellent Benefits

Many startups, including InspiringApps, may be resource-constrained in the early days. Health and retirement benefits are expensive, so we focused first on benefits that didn’t require a direct cash outlay. Establishing a two-day-per-week remote work policy over a decade ago, accommodating part-time employees, and offering flexible work hours were all low-cost ways to treat our team with respect.

Great Company Culture Blog Quotes 3

As InspiringApps matured, we also added more traditional benefits. In addition to a 401(k) plan with match, profit sharing, and a generous and flexible PTO policy, we recently increased the company’s health premium contribution from 50% to 100% and added company-paid vision, dental, disability, and employee assistance (EAP).

Great Company Culture Blog Quotes 4

Be Inclusive

Inclusivity is a mandate kept top-of-mind in the projects and clients we take on and the staff we hire and promote. In a historically homogenous industry like tech, inclusivity can be a challenge. Through intentional recruiting and a focus on providing opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups to join the field, InspiringApps is working to build a more diverse team that better reflects the communities we serve.

Promoting women in tech is one way we’ve made strides in our company. At InspiringApps, women make up 50% of our leadership team and more than a third of our employees, which is 20% more than the US average.

Promoting diversity and inclusion provides various perspectives, which is essential for the challenges we’re addressing in our consumer apps. We consider it a competitive advantage as we continue to innovate for our clients.

Additionally, we’ve made a concentrated effort over time to welcome new employees. Years ago, that welcome included a team lunch on Pearl Street. Since our team has grown, that lunch is now digital—and the efforts to be inclusive extend much further than that. Communication and connection are ingrained into the way we set up projects, make progress on initiatives, and more.

Great Company Culture Blog Quotes 5

Communicate Consistently

Secrecy and unexplained decision-making from leaders lead to unengaged employees. Transparency is the answer. About 85% of employees are most motivated when they know what’s happening and why.

Open and frequent communication, including standups and all-hands meetings, project or team demos, company newsletters, and social media, encourages employees to gain trust in leadership. When you share company goals regularly, your employees will feel confident in knowing the direction they’re working. The more your employees see open communication from leaders and are encouraged to participate in decision-making, the better communicators they’ll be with your clients, modeling positive communication behaviors in everything they do.

Technology is your ally when it comes to employee engagement. Offering a Slack channel or other internal chat features, an employee app, or an intranet site where employees can share and talk directly to leaders can inspire a transparent culture.

Great Company Culture Blog Quotes 6

The Value of Culture

InspiringApps nurtures a culture of respect, empathy, and inclusivity. Our commitment to culture is exemplified by an official Certified ™ by Great Place to Work ®. But that recognition is only a small window into the little things that our team is doing every day to reinforce the culture we’ve been nurturing for years.

Our culture is one of our most valuable assets. It defines our expectations for the way we treat one another. Beyond making InspiringApps a pleasant place to work, our culture is evident in our client relationships and in the apps we create.

Building award-winning apps starts with a language that’s foreign to many of us: code. For more than 15 years, our app development team has built easy-to-use iOS, Android, and web applications serving over 100 companies in a dozen industries. See our work.

Team Photo 15 Years of Inspiring Apps

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Business & Strategy

Best Questions To Ask To Find the Right App Development Company

Building an app presents incredible opportunities, and that’s not just for tech disruptors. You can sell your product, grow your business, delight and engage customers—even transform your customers’ experience. All the above are possible with the right app development partner. But finding that partner means asking the right questions at the forefront. To determine which app developer is the best to hire for your project, focus on these areas: Developer capabilities Digital product strategy and design Process and communication Financials and legalities For the best questions and considerations behind these areas, read on. Questions on Developer Capabilities Before diving into the specifics of your project, it’s crucial to understand the overall capabilities and expertise of your potential app development partner. The following questions will help you gauge these critical aspects. What technologies do you use and why? This question helps you understand how the development company thinks. Worry less about the specific technology they use and more about whether the development company can clearly articulate their reason for using it and the benefits to you and your product. Unless you are already a technology pro, choose a partner based on their expertise. Let them use tools they know to get great results. Have you done anything similar to what I’m asking you to do? You don’t need an exact match or even a company that has developed a similar app. Still, your potential development partner should be able to draw parallels to their relevant work. Shared connection points, whether on the industry, product, or technical level, will increase the likelihood of your project’s success. What are the riskiest parts of my project? Asking your app development partner this question will give you insight into your project and its areas of expertise. To know whether it’s worth continuing down the development path, consider risks early on to develop a plan. The riskiest parts are those that will likely make or break the product. How do you approach integrating AI and other emerging technologies into app development? This question helps you understand the development company’s experience with AI and other emerging technologies and their commitment to staying current in these rapidly evolving fields. A competent partner should be able to explain their approach to integrating new technologies. Look for a partner who can articulate the potential benefits and challenges of implementing AI and other new technologies in your project. They should demonstrate a balanced approach that leverages innovation while ensuring practical, user-focused solutions. Questions on Digital Product Strategy & Design A great app is more than just code—it’s a solution to a problem or a means to achieve a business goal. These questions will help you understand how your potential partner approaches the strategic aspects of app development. How do you approach digital product strategy and planning? A strong app development partner should have a clear process for supporting digital product strategy. This process might include market research, user persona development, and competitive analysis. Understanding their approach will help you gauge how thoroughly they consider your app’s broader context. What is your UI/UX design strategy? Look for a development partner who integrates UI/UX design throughout the entire app development process, not just as an afterthought. A competent partner will explain how their UI/UX process helps transform your ideas into user experiences that are both functional and visually appealing. How do you ensure that the app’s design aligns with user needs and business goals? An effective app development partner should systematically align design with user needs and business goals. They should conduct in-depth discussions to understand your product vision and objectives. Ask about their methods for gathering user insights, such as interviews, surveys, or usability testing. A strong partner will incorporate user feedback throughout the development process. How do you handle post-launch strategy and ongoing improvements? App development doesn’t end at launch. Ask about their approach to gathering user feedback, analyzing app performance, and planning for future updates and feature additions. A good partner will have a clear strategy for maintaining and evolving the app over time. How do you ensure long-term relevance and competitiveness? With technology evolving rapidly, it’s important to understand how a potential partner stays current and evaluates new technologies for inclusion in their digital product strategies. Look for a partner who demonstrates a thoughtful, strategic approach to technology adoption, rather than simply chasing the latest trends. They should be able to provide examples of how they’ve successfully incorporated new technologies into past projects to drive long-term value and competitiveness. Questions on Process & Communication The success of your project often hinges on smooth collaboration and clear communication. These questions will help you understand how the development team operates and how they’ll keep you informed and involved throughout the process. Do you outsource or offshore any part of your development process? Most app development projects loosely break into several stages: discovery, design, development and testing, and deployment. Some companies choose to outsource one or more parts of this process. Seek to understand how the company will work with outside contractors, if at all. Offshoring may offer reduced hourly rates, but consider other factors. Offshoring typically requires extra project management effort. Cultural differences can introduce risk to the project. Less cohesion and familiarity among team members can increase the total time required. Do these trade-offs decrease the price? Who will be my main point of contact once the project kicks off? Multiple people will probably be involved in building your app, but you don’t want to have to navigate who the right contact is for what. There are also times when it’s more efficient to go right to the source when discussing technical or design challenges. Make sure you can talk with developers and designers as needed, but that there is a project manager keeping tabs on your project—and who is your first point of contact for any needs. How will we communicate during the app development process? Numerous ways to interact remotely include phone calls, video conferences, screen sharing, and collaborative online workspaces. The best app development partners take advantage of all these options, creating a virtual environment that’s as interactive and productive as in-person collaboration. Ideally, your app development partner provides seamless interaction, whether you are working through complex issues or getting answers to quick questions. Electronic communication is equally essential for project management and knowledge capture. Many developers use tools such as GitHub, ZenHub, Asana, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or others to track project progress and facilitate team communication. These tools help ensure the project stays on track and team members remain aligned, regardless of their physical location. You might already have such a tool in place, and your potential app development partner should be on board with using it or integrating it with their existing systems to streamline project management and communication. Look for a partner with a proven track record of successful collaboration who can clearly articulate their approach to maintaining strong communication in a distributed work environment. How will I receive status updates, and how often? The answer to this question should consider your personal preference. You want to ensure the frequency of status updates is compatible with your desire to receive them. As noted above, there are numerous ways for you to stay connected, and your chosen app development partner should be willing to adapt to your needs. How involved will I be in the project? When do I get to provide input? Big reveals make for good television on home renovation shows, but it’s not how you want to receive your product. It’s best to monitor your software throughout the project’s life, so you can make course corrections as needed. The best app development shops work with agile methodologies, simultaneously building and testing small code sections. Expect to interact with the app early in the process and as your developer adds each piece of functionality. Furthermore, you are likely the subject matter expert for your product, and your partner ought to rely on you for knowledge of your industry and customer. Your feedback, including help with testing the app during development, ensures that the best product is delivered. What if my priorities or scope change during the project? Successful software projects are rarely defined completely and then built to that definition. You want a software development partner who can adapt to your needs. Ideally, your developer will provide you with a central point of contact throughout the project and expect things to shift while allowing flexibility to meet your changing priorities and timelines. Questions on Financials & Legalities Understanding your project’s financial and legal aspects is crucial for avoiding surprises and ensuring a smooth development process. These questions will help clarify your app’s cost structure and ownership details of your digital product. How much will my project cost? You want to be able to plan your time and budget for the length of the project. Ensure your development partner provides a written estimate so you can expressly agree on the expectations. Beyond the total cost, it’s essential to understand the pricing structure. The most common options are an hourly rate or a fixed cost, plus maintenance and support. Hourly Rates: With hourly pricing, the developer charges a rate for each hour worked and tracks the amount of time spent on your project. In the proposal, the development company estimates how many hours they believe the project will take but will charge you for every hour worked, whether that total time is below or above the approximation. Fixed Cost: In a fixed-price project, the developer will provide you with the project’s total cost and (hopefully) stick with that number. When work above and beyond the original scope is necessary, the developer should tell you how much extra work will cost before moving ahead. Maintenance & Support: Ongoing work after the app launches is almost always required to acquire new users and keep current users engaged. This type of work ranges from bug fixes (there will always be bugs!) to testing updated operating system releases and adding new functionality to the app. It’s worth understanding upfront how your partner would recommend structuring a maintenance and support program and the associated fee structure. Who will own the app? As the customer, you should own the finished product. Find the Right App Developer for Your Project For the success of your project, take the time to find the right developer—one who: Has the expertise and strategic insights to help you deliver the app you want to build. Focuses on real user needs, tangible results, and effective communication. Has the proper cost structure for you. Use these questions and considerations to help you learn more about potential app development partners before you choose. For more resources, consider reading our free book, InspiringApps: A Business Perspective on Building Mobile Apps, to gain a foundational understanding of the business and technical considerations involved in building an app. And, if you’re curious about how InspiringApps would respond to questions like the ones we’ve just shared, find our answers in Your Journey With InspiringApps.

4 days ago

AI Artificial Intelligence

Apple Intelligence: Empowering Businesses of All Sizes

Image Source: Apple Newsroom Apple announced its “AI for the rest of us” plan. But what does that mean for the future of digital products in enterprise, mid- and small-sized businesses? In this article, we’ll explore the implications of Apple’s AI strategy and share key takeaways for business leaders navigating the evolving landscape of AI-driven innovation. But first—a little “AI housekeeping.” A Working Definition of AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) focuses on creating smart machines that can learn from data, identify patterns, and perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. Unlike traditional software solutions that rely on explicit programming and predefined rules, such as “if the customer’s age is greater than X, do this” or “if the bank balance is greater than Y, do that,” AI systems can make decisions without being explicitly programmed for every scenario. Recommendations for Businesses A little over a year ago, Brad Weber, CEO of InspiringApps, spoke with Tim Hayden about AI and more, as the above video captures (for the full conversation, see the playlist AI & Data Privacy: InspiringApps & Brain+Trust webinars). Considering the latest announcements at Apple WWDC 2024, we followed up with Brad to capture more insights and business recommendations. We found that Apple’s approach to intelligence mirrors our own in many ways: seamless integration, user-focused design, privacy, and business efficacy. 1. Focus on enhanced user experiences. Recommendation: Through seamless integration, focus on delivering tangible benefits to users that take advantage of Apple’s AI-driven user experiences, such as personalized recommendations and predictive features. “AI has enhanced the Apple user experience for many years. Has your phone predicted your commute time to work when you are a few blocks away from home? Has your watch calculated the total yards of your swim workout and broken down the distance by stroke? Both features (and many more) are driven by AI, but Apple treats that as an implementation detail users don’t need to know about. They should just experience the surprise and delight.”—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO Most people have experienced AI without realizing it. “Hey Siri, read my messages” is a prevalent example of AI in everyday life. With Apple adding more ways to engage with app functionality through Siri and system-level features, properly defining and configuring App Intents may become a new strategy for businesses to ensure their in-app content and services are discoverable and intelligently integrated into users’ queries and workflows. For example, the improved typing interface with Siri could make Apple devices and apps more accessible for users with certain disabilities or situational impairments that make voice input challenging. If these intelligent features prove useful for accessibility, businesses may be able to reach and serve a broader audience. Businesses using messaging platforms for customer engagement could also leverage the new intelligent writing and summarization tools to streamline communication and quickly synthesize key points from lengthy customer inquiries or feedback, improving response times and quality. 2. Prioritize user privacy. Recommendation: Be transparent about data collection and usage, give users control over their data, and take every precaution to protect user information. AI enables computers to tackle complex problems and operate in the “gray areas,” where they can develop their own solutions based on the given goals or outcomes. To achieve this, AI relies on extensive data to effectively train models and make precise predictions or decisions, such as identifying objects in images or determining the optimal course of action in a given situation. This reliance on large datasets for training AI models raises important questions about data privacy and the implications of using personal information in developing AI systems. “With the new generative AI features in iOS 18, Apple will continue to prefer the privacy of on-device processing. When server capabilities are required, limited data is sent to Apple, and none of it is stored beyond the current ‘session.’ And if Chat GPT (and other engines/providers in the future) are beneficial, users will explicitly approve each data share. It is highly unlikely that any user-identifiable data will be sent to OpenAI as part of those interactions unless the user specifically opts in with their OpenAI account details.”—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO In short, Apple’s commitment to privacy is a key differentiator, and businesses should follow their lead. 3. Consider Swift 6 adoption. Recommendation: Consider adopting Swift 6 for your development projects to reach a wider audience and streamline your development processes. “I’m excited to see Apple’s Swift 6 push on Windows and Linux, including improved Swift language support in Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code editor. Our team enjoys Swift development, and the language’s safety features have definitely reduced incidents of crashes on Apple devices. I look forward to those same benefits on other platforms.”—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO 4. Stay adaptable. Recommendation: Businesses should explore the full spectrum of AI and machine learning technologies to find the most effective solutions for their specific needs. From predictive analytics and recommendation engines to computer vision and natural language processing, there are numerous ways to harness intelligence to benefit users and drive business growth. “It’s important to remember that generative AI is not the only form of AI. Although it has captured headlines for the last year or two, there are loads of other ways to benefit users with the thoughtful use of AI and ML.”—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO Advanced predictive analytics can provide valuable insights into future trends and user behaviors. Intelligence can use data analysis to predict popular features, design elements, and evolving user needs. This foresight can inform decisions, helping to create digital products that meet current user expectations and are well-positioned to adapt to future demands. Smart Business Moves Apple’s advancements present both opportunities and challenges for businesses of all sizes. By focusing on seamless integration, user privacy, and delivering tangible benefits through smart algorithms and machine learning, businesses can position themselves for success. The key is to approach all development decisions with a user-centric mindset, focusing on how technologies can solve problems, streamline processes, and create meaningful benefits for your target audience. In other words, always prioritize creating value for your users. Further Reading & Resources Gartner: Learn To Build an AI Strategy for Your Business Apple: Machine Learning Research InspiringApps & Brain+Trust: AI & Data Privacy Webinar Recap

1 month ago

Image Source: Apple Newsroom

Apple announced its “AI for the rest of us” plan. But what does that mean for the future of digital products in enterprise, mid- and small-sized businesses? In this article, we’ll explore the implications of Apple’s AI strategy and share key takeaways for business leaders navigating the evolving landscape of AI-driven innovation.

But first—a little “AI housekeeping.”

A Working Definition of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) focuses on creating smart machines that can learn from data, identify patterns, and perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. Unlike traditional software solutions that rely on explicit programming and predefined rules, such as “if the customer’s age is greater than X, do this” or “if the bank balance is greater than Y, do that,” AI systems can make decisions without being explicitly programmed for every scenario.

Recommendations for Businesses

A little over a year ago, Brad Weber, CEO of InspiringApps, spoke with Tim Hayden about AI and more, as the above video captures (for the full conversation, see the playlist AI & Data Privacy: InspiringApps & Brain+Trust webinars). Considering the latest announcements at Apple WWDC 2024, we followed up with Brad to capture more insights and business recommendations. We found that Apple’s approach to intelligence mirrors our own in many ways: seamless integration, user-focused design, privacy, and business efficacy.

A young woman holding an iPhone with headphones relaxing on a green field.

1. Focus on enhanced user experiences.

Recommendation: Through seamless integration, focus on delivering tangible benefits to users that take advantage of Apple’s AI-driven user experiences, such as personalized recommendations and predictive features.

“AI has enhanced the Apple user experience for many years. Has your phone predicted your commute time to work when you are a few blocks away from home? Has your watch calculated the total yards of your swim workout and broken down the distance by stroke? Both features (and many more) are driven by AI, but Apple treats that as an implementation detail users don’t need to know about. They should just experience the surprise and delight.”
—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO

Most people have experienced AI without realizing it. “Hey Siri, read my messages” is a prevalent example of AI in everyday life. With Apple adding more ways to engage with app functionality through Siri and system-level features, properly defining and configuring App Intents may become a new strategy for businesses to ensure their in-app content and services are discoverable and intelligently integrated into users’ queries and workflows.

For example, the improved typing interface with Siri could make Apple devices and apps more accessible for users with certain disabilities or situational impairments that make voice input challenging. If these intelligent features prove useful for accessibility, businesses may be able to reach and serve a broader audience.

Businesses using messaging platforms for customer engagement could also leverage the new intelligent writing and summarization tools to streamline communication and quickly synthesize key points from lengthy customer inquiries or feedback, improving response times and quality.

2. Prioritize user privacy.

Recommendation: Be transparent about data collection and usage, give users control over their data, and take every precaution to protect user information.

AI enables computers to tackle complex problems and operate in the “gray areas,” where they can develop their own solutions based on the given goals or outcomes. To achieve this, AI relies on extensive data to effectively train models and make precise predictions or decisions, such as identifying objects in images or determining the optimal course of action in a given situation. This reliance on large datasets for training AI models raises important questions about data privacy and the implications of using personal information in developing AI systems.

“With the new generative AI features in iOS 18, Apple will continue to prefer the privacy of on-device processing. When server capabilities are required, limited data is sent to Apple, and none of it is stored beyond the current ‘session.’ And if Chat GPT (and other engines/providers in the future) are beneficial, users will explicitly approve each data share. It is highly unlikely that any user-identifiable data will be sent to OpenAI as part of those interactions unless the user specifically opts in with their OpenAI account details.”
—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO

In short, Apple’s commitment to privacy is a key differentiator, and businesses should follow their lead.

3. Consider Swift 6 adoption.

Recommendation: Consider adopting Swift 6 for your development projects to reach a wider audience and streamline your development processes.

“I’m excited to see Apple’s Swift 6 push on Windows and Linux, including improved Swift language support in Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code editor. Our team enjoys Swift development, and the language’s safety features have definitely reduced incidents of crashes on Apple devices. I look forward to those same benefits on other platforms.”
—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO

4. Stay adaptable.

Recommendation: Businesses should explore the full spectrum of AI and machine learning technologies to find the most effective solutions for their specific needs.

From predictive analytics and recommendation engines to computer vision and natural language processing, there are numerous ways to harness intelligence to benefit users and drive business growth.

“It’s important to remember that generative AI is not the only form of AI. Although it has captured headlines for the last year or two, there are loads of other ways to benefit users with the thoughtful use of AI and ML.”
—BRAD WEBER, INSPIRINGAPPS CEO

Advanced predictive analytics can provide valuable insights into future trends and user behaviors. Intelligence can use data analysis to predict popular features, design elements, and evolving user needs. This foresight can inform decisions, helping to create digital products that meet current user expectations and are well-positioned to adapt to future demands.

Smart Business Moves

Apple’s advancements present both opportunities and challenges for businesses of all sizes. By focusing on seamless integration, user privacy, and delivering tangible benefits through smart algorithms and machine learning, businesses can position themselves for success. The key is to approach all development decisions with a user-centric mindset, focusing on how technologies can solve problems, streamline processes, and create meaningful benefits for your target audience. In other words, always prioritize creating value for your users.