Analog thinking in the digital world

The Stuttgart Knowledge Forum on October 20 is all about artificial intelligence

If on October 20 in the Porsche Arena the bright stage lights bathe the provocative mohawk haircut in a deep red and create a peculiar contrast to the serious-dark suit, one might think to have the epitome of digital breakthrough in front of them with the blogger and New Economy expert Sascha Lobo. The outwardly and thematically successful balancing act between a functioning foundation and an offensive experiment of the polarizing net native symbolizes the theme that will shape this year's Stuttgart Knowledge Forum. Along with Silicon Valley insider Christoph Keese and a high-class expert panel consisting of Stefan Krebs, Chief Information Officer appointed by the state government for information technology, media management professor Dr. Stefan Gröner, MyMuesli founder Max Wittrock, and cloud guru René Büst, under the direction of publicist Dr. Wolfram Weimers, Keese dedicates himself to "digital disruption". The topic, which is currently hard to surpass in terms of relevance and urgency. Disruption (literally "tearing apart/breaking"), which stands for the radically innovative work ethos of Silicon Valley, has not yet made it into the dictionary, but has already secured its place as a buzzword among digital experts and economic thought leaders. Disruption could be defined as the emergence of new technologies and innovations that create new target audience needs and thus threaten or even "break" existing business models. Or, to put it more understandably in the words of the father of the automotive industry, Henry Ford: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said 'faster horses'." It is precisely this willingness to discard the tried and tested if necessary to make room for something new and sometimes radical, which, according to Lobo, is lacking in German companies so far. The profit trains are still running smoothly on old tracks - for now. As paradoxical as it may seem at first glance, what Lobo cites as an example is "self-cannibalization" through the development of a 99-cent app. It alone could make the company's services redundant. So, this somewhat exaggerated approach does have a method. Because the market, and with it international competition, does not sleep. It is better, therefore, to present the death blow to one's own business model and use it profitably, rather than passively worrying about when it might be delivered by an emerging startup. With "Silicon Valley" and its successor "Silicon Germany", the CEO of Axel Springer Verlag, Christoph Keese, has written two books on this very topic that have attracted attention beyond specialist circles. "Silicon Germany" was awarded the German Business Book Prize in 2016, with the jury calling it a "must-read for every decision-maker" due to its concrete, vivid, and enlightening explanations. Keese talks about his time in the most innovative valley in the world and its corporate culture, which deeply impressed him and whose "spirit" he does not want to miss in Germany either. But there is still a long way to go, as the Federal Republic is far behind in terms of innovation. The participants of the FutureTalks have committed to making a contribution to changing this as quickly as possible, led by Stefan Krebs, Chief Information Officer of the state government for information technology. Krebs is vigorously driving the expansion of a powerful broadband infrastructure, seeing comprehensive fiber optic connectivity, which is still lacking in large parts of the country, as essential for the success of digitization. Max Wittrock, co-founder of the German flagship startup MyMuesli, whose business model evolved from a student brainstorming idea to a company with nearly 60 stores and about 800 employees, provides a successful example for the German startup scene. Prof. Dr. Gröner, strategy consultant and change manager, advises seeing change as an opportunity, especially in communication and marketing, where a proper understanding of the functionality of new media can open doors wide. In addition to virtual evolutions and revolutions, the focus of the Knowledge Forum is also on very analog qualities such as personality, sales, and leadership skills. Ingo Vogel puts people at the center, stating that to sell effectively, one must be able to emotionally connect with the other person. Mike Dierssen shows what else distinguishes top sellers, and Frieder Gamm helps throw the right "punch" in negotiations, drawing inspiration from none other than the great Muhammad Ali. Self-made man Thomas Stein, who propelled stars like Falco and Alicia Keys to the summit of the pop Olympus, reveals his strategy that made him the top player in the German show business. Dr. Marco Freiherr von Münchhausen may not ride cannonballs, but he tames inner demons, and NLP coach Stephan Landsiedel teaches how to program oneself for success. The hosting duo Susanne Schöne and Mario Schmidt will charmingly, eloquently, and wittily accompany this day. When the bright stage lights on Sascha Lobo's mohawk fade on October 20 and the audience, still enchanted by the inexplicable spectacles of mentalist Torsten Havener, leave the Porsche Arena, hopefully every visitor will depart with memories of an unforgettable day full of motivation, inspiration, and valuable impulses. [button color="red" size="medium" link="https://www.speakers-excellence.de/wissensforum/stuttgart/" icon="" target="false"]Find Tickets & More Information Here[/button]