The Track
A Section Blog

7 hard-won lessons from deploying AI at scale

AI agents are cool, but not for the reasons you’ve heard
You’ve seen articles and flashy demos and tons of promises about the imminent future of agents. But how much of that is actually possible and how much is hype? Lutra AI co-founder and CEO, Jiquan Ngiam sat down with us to suss it out.

AI hallucinations aren’t a big deal
It’s hard not to hear that AI hallucinates and not have a few alarm bells go off. But ‘hallucinations’ is a loaded word. Machine & Partners’ Edmundo Ortega is back to explain why they’re nothing to worry about.

Is Deep Research worth $200 a month?
With new AI tools coming out all the time, it’s hard to know which ones are worth investing in. So here’s our lead AI consultant’s framework for whether you should shell out for Deep Research or not.

How to know if NFTs are right for your business
Pop quiz. When you hear the word NFT, do you think:
💪 I know exactly what an NFT is and how to use it for my business
🤔 I think I understand what NFTs are, but I have no clue if they’re relevant to me
🤢 Argh! I should know what NFTs are, but thinking about them makes my head hurt
If you answered the latter two options, you’re not alone. Don’t worry – we sat down with NYU Stern Professor Sabrina Howell to simplify it for you.

Self-assessment: Does your team trust you?
I’m sure you’ve had a manager you didn’t trust.
Maybe that manager said she valued your time – but then canceled your 1:1 at the last minute because she just had to run out and get a smoothie.
Maybe he called you out in front of the team for a mistake he made. (Truly an unforgivable offense).
Whatever it was, you know that once trust is lost, it’s hard to get back...

Which skills matter? Employees and L&D leaders don’t always agree [research]
Which skills matter in the modern workplace – to get promoted, to get ahead, to impact the business? It turns out that employees and learning leaders don’t always agree.
We recently surveyed 10,000 students and 250 learning leaders on the skills that are their biggest priority in 2023.

Want to build the next Airbnb? 4 steps to get started
Airbnb changed the way we travel without purchasing any hotels. Uber made it easier to get around without amassing their own fleet. And DoorDash took care of breakfast without cracking a single egg.
The common thread between these companies is that they’re platform businesses. Rather than selling products directly, they’re providing a platform that conveniently connects sellers and buyers.
How do you follow in their footsteps? Here are four steps that can help you build a platform of your own.