Kick off 2023 with five big lessons we learned in 2022
INTRO
Some will say that the worst of times are ahead of us. And some will argue that, in fact, the best of times lie ahead. It depends on who you ask.
But one is true for all – we live in some interesting times.
Last year was full of challenges and it definitely wasn’t easy to overcome them. Despite that, we managed to achieve our biggest yearly growth so far!
This shows that the obstacles can take you forward. When you look at it – if something is worth doing, it will test you. And the reward after conquering the challenges will be much greater.
So, we roamed through 2022 in search for some helpful tips to tackle 2023 head on. Here’s what we learned.
Lesson 01
Make plans, but stay flexible
Having a plan is important. Without it, there’s a risk that you will spend your year doing random stuff and lose focus. You will put in the effort, but the results won’t follow.
But how can you plan for a year like 2022?
The year started with warnings of a recession and shortly after, war broke on European soil and shredded any hope for peace. Bad news followed as the war unfolded, prices skyrocketed and the inflation grew rapidly. Layoffs started in many big companies.
So, 2023 started with a flexible plan in mind. It allows you to adjust when you need to.
This year is all about accepting the chaos and planning for resilience. You remain agile and adjust your goals and your plans, if needed.
It would be a waste to fulfill all your plans – just to figure out that your goals were wrong.
It’s the same with software. You can set your goals, decide on functionalities and scope of the project, spend the next six months building it – just to see that you were building it wrong. Why? Because everything is changing rapidly and the plans should factor that in.
For that reason, we always advise our clients to build their projects with agile methodologies. You are paying for the development monthly, which allows you to quickly test your project and make necessary changes. In the end you will build the right project spending the least amount of time and money.
Put simply – you’ll have a plan, while maintaining maximum flexibility.
Lesson 02
Artificial intelligence can help you
From predicting climate patterns to suggesting search results, AI is a hot topic that will continue to develop in the coming years.
The broader world of AI has made huge leaps into the creative world – as the internet got flooded by AI-based image generation tools and of course ChatGPT.
The world asked “will prompts replace creative humans”?
Well no – but that doesn’t mean that they are useless. They are useful if used right. Not as a replacement, rather as an addition.
ChatGPT is a very fascinating piece of technology that can do a lot of things. However, approach it with caution, because it can be overconfident while saying the wrong things 😀. That is very human-like, one might argue!
While it will not give you exact solutions to a problem, you can use it as a good starting point for your work and as a source of ideas.
How to optimize business costs?
For example, we were writing about optimizing business costs so we asked ChatGPT for help. The answer was pretty good. Okay, it was a bit generic, yet enough to give us a few ideas that jump-started our creativity.
How to send a file to a server by using JavaScript?
This one was amazing. The AI wrote a code, line by line and added comments. For everyone trying to send an image to a server with JavaScript, this is a game-changer.
However, some of the answers included a code that didn’t make sense. Yet, the AI sounded very confident😀.
Wrong answers?
Proceed with caution if you are asking it about something you are not very familiar with. Fact-checking is essential!
For example, we asked it how to save money while overspending. ChatGPT replied that it is hard, but manageable. How? You just need to spend less than you earn. Well, that is quite opposite of overspending, isn’t it? The AI didn’t elaborate on that. It gave an answer and the job was done.
To test it even more, we asked it to tell us if Vojko V is the best rapper in Croatia. While it showed that it is resilient to spelling errors, it didn’t give us an answer. Instead, it wrote about who Vojko is and what he does, while getting his hit songs wrong. In short, fact-check everything.
Lesson 03
Efficiency, efficiency and efficiency!
What the past year has taught us business-wise can fit into one word – streamlining.
Technology can help your business achieve its highest potential as well as save you time and money.
Optimize processes, minimize risks and stay focused on your core financial KPIs.
This is definitely something that is worth keeping in mind this year. But don’t trust us, if you ask an AI chat it will tell you it’s the first thing you need to do in order to optimize your business 😀.
Lesson 04
Great resignation
From the year that brought the great resignation and quiet quitting, we (re)learned the importance of work-life balance.
Last year started with quitting on a mass scale and ended with layoffs in many big companies. Because of that we feel that improving the working environment should be high on your list of priorities.
Give people autonomy, a sense of purpose and make sure you listen to and address their concerns.
Focus on the people you have and meet their unique needs: financial, social, physical and emotional.
And do it all while improving efficiency. It’s not easy, but it’s sure worth it.
Lesson 05
Check yourself, before you wreck yourself!
Maybe the most important lesson of this decade is to preserve your health. Prioritize regular health checks and be on the lookout for burnout.
It may be a good practice to establish an annual physical exam for you and your employees. Just to be sure that nobody misses out on their regular screenings. And don’t exclude mental health too.
It may be just what the doctor ordered.