In this episode of Lowdown on Lowcode, hosts Rob Koplowitz and John Rymer engage with Ian Barkin, a founding partner at 2B Ventures and co-author of 'All Hands on Tech, the AI-powered Citizen Revolution.' The conversation explores the concept of citizen development, emphasizing the importance of empowering business people to drive innovation and improve processes. Ian discusses the roles of citizen developers and citizen data scientists, the significance of robotic process automation (RPA), and the evolving landscape of AI in business applications. The episode highlights the need for collaboration between business and IT, the value of democratizing technology, and the importance of fostering a culture of innovation within organizations.

Takeaways

• Citizen development empowers business people to innovate.
• Understanding customer needs is crucial for process improvement.
• RPA can bridge gaps between systems and improve efficiency.
• AI is changing the landscape of business applications.
• Collaboration between business and IT is essential for success.
• Citizen data scientists can drive significant value through data analysis.
• Organizations should encourage citizen innovation and scouting.
• Training in technology is important but mindset matters more.
• Democratizing technology leads to better customer experiences.
• Leadership should incentivize and support innovation efforts.

Timestamps
05:03 - The Evolution of RPA and Citizen Development

10:16 - Understanding Citizen Data Scientists

15:09 - The Role of Business in Automation

19:56 - AI's Impact on Business Applications

25:16 - Encouraging Innovation in Enterprises