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Most personas and journey maps crash land shortly after takeoff. This step-by-step playbook provides a revolutionary approach to creating these pivotal artifacts in product design through the concept of altitudes. They will guide you in conceptualizing your users through research techniques that directly inform persona characteristics. Discover how to create personas that are free from irrelevant attributes and learn to develop high-altitude personas with sufficient lift to guide product roadmaps and organizational strategy. You'll also master constructing flight paths for journey maps that capture the user's journey at the perfect level of detail, uncovering key moments in their experience. Then, as personas and journeys evolve, you will learn to measure the impact of product experience improvements. With this book as your co-pilot, you'll navigate the creation process with the help of templates and real-world examples reflecting the latest methods for personas and journey maps. The Persona and Journey Map Playbook will provide you with the tools and strategies to create impactful personas and journey maps that will drive user-centered design and product success. What You'll Learn Integrate personas and journey maps into a cohesive user experience strategy. Gain practical details to design for users, avoiding common pitfalls of stereotyped and irrelevant personas. Utilize user research activities and synthesize insights to inform personas and journey maps. Understand the root causes of user experience issues through personas and journey maps to inform product roadmaps, create user requirements, and document future experiences. Who This Book Is For Product leaders, user experience designers, user researchers, or any roles responsible for understanding user needs.

As leaders plan to make significant investments to harness the power of foundational models such as ChatGPT, they need to understand the changes in organizational behaviors required for the successful implementation of such systems. The size, complexity and nature of this new wave of technologies requires a refresh in roles and responsibilities in conventional IT organizations. This book reveals practical and no-nonsense guidance on how to leverage generative AI to transform your business processes and organizational structures to achieve breakthroughs in efficiency, effectiveness and competitive advantage. Written in a lively, engaging, and often humorous style, this work provides practical insights and timely survival skills for leaders with anonymous but real-world experiences and case studies. If you're looking to understand how large language foundation models such as ChatGPT are reshaping managerial roles and organizational structures, and how they can leverage this knowledge to survive and thrive in this brave new world then Organizing for Generative AI and the Productivity Revolution is the book for you. What You Will Learn Review the key changes in current state roles and responsibilities that are required to successfully deploy generative AI systems Examine the organizational reporting structures and associated incentives that form a strong generative AI system Understand the financial, regulatory, and operational risks created by organizational behavioral issues that arise when organizations build and deploy large language models Compare the strategic differences in emerging versus traditional organizational behaviors, incentives, roles and responsibilities Who This Book Is For Executives and team leaders at enterprises large and small.

Over the last decade, Lean-Agile principles have become the standard methodology by which product and technology teams operate. However, Lean-Agile was written for small companies seeking new markets to buy their innovative software products, not for an average corporation with a catalogue of existing software products that must be maintained and rebuilt. The typical tech-enabled business isn't a lean startup; it's a chunky corporate. This book offers an alternative software development methodology perfectly suited for chunky corporate product management. You'll quickly find out how individual players in the corporate organization impact business performance. You'll follow the story of Blake, a well-meaning but ultimately naive, CEO of a fictional company called Acme Tech. As he and Acme struggle to maintain business performance, it becomes apparent how embedded and complex his challenges are. Lean-Agile principles are regularly misapplied in the corporate environment, causing tension, missed deadlines, and inefficient working practices. You'll see that managing software transformation at a large, mature business requires a new set of tools. Popular development methodologies are not well-suited for the replatforming exercises that chunky corporates inevitably face. This book helps product and technology leaders navigate software development projects at organizations grappling with the constraints of investor ownership. Chunky corporates have a lot going for them: The Lean-Agile Dilemma reveals that, when managed well, they have the potential to be safe havens in a relentlessly unstable world. You will: Understand how replatforming differs from new product development Learn how to manage existing data when updating or building new software Gain tools to prioritize items in your overstuffed product roadmap Who This Book is For Product managers, product owners, product leadership, tech leadership, and business leaders at mature tech-enabled businesses.

Did you ever think that the way you interact with other human beings, entities, and organizations can be measured for building a harmonious society? In this age of user verification and user validation, AI will fine-tune these interactions and transactions to build a socially equitable world. This book reveals that social equity is not only what you get from society, but also what you give to it. You'll explore the concepts and intricacies of this mutually built phenomenon. The book then and focuses on creating social equity awareness and details how AI can help in the process. Regular enterprises, consumer-oriented companies, and social media companies all capture data in regular interactions and use this information in various ways. You'll learn how this information is being leveraged and explore how social equity can thrive when all this information is analyzed and measured.Building Social Equity with AI highlights the subtle nuances of social equity and howAI can create more awareness towards it, thus improving your business or organization.What You'll LearnUnderstand how social equity affects all business and industry professionalsBuild social equity into a changing worldSee how AI and GenAI stand out as transformative forcesIntegrate social equity into network structuresAddress equality and equity in the context of people, processes, and technologyWork with AI to improve social equity scores Who This Book Is ForSmall-medium business owners and users, consultants, education specialists, career coaches, data engineers, and social workers who want to leverage AI to gain social equity for either their business or personal life.

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms education, tools like ChatGPT and Claude are revolutionizing the way we teach and learn. This book is a groundbreaking book that empowers parents and students to navigate this exciting new frontier, filling a critical gap in the current literature. As the first comprehensive guide to generative AI in education designed for parents and students, Generative AI in Education is positioned to become an indispensable resource. It provides the knowledge and strategies needed to effectively integrate AI into their learning journeys, transforming educational outcomes and preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world. You'll gain a deep understanding of how tools like ChatGPT and Claude work, and how they can be leveraged to support learning across various subjects and grade levels. You'll then see how to create clear, specific, and engaging prompts that elicit valuable responses from AI-powered tools. This book contains all the techniques for tailoring prompts to different learning objectives, styles, and contexts, and how they can use AI tools to support reading comprehension, writing skills, problem-solving, and creative thinking. What You Will Learn Apply generative AI in education Craft effective prompts for personalized learning experiences Utilize AI tools to support learning, creativity, and problem-solving Who This Book is For Parents and students who are eager to harness the power of generative AI to enhance learning experiences and prepare for success in an AI-driven future

The interest in sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) from stakeholders across all sectors is growing and will continue to do so as we are in the most pivotal decade for meeting the global goals on climate change and sustainable development. This book is a compendium of the international agreements, regulatory advancements, and current practicum to inform a 360-degree viewpoint of the organizations, frameworks, and stakeholders that shape the evolving landscape. Written in a straightforward and conversational tone, you'll embark on a knowledge journey on the progression of ESG and sustainability and how it directly shapes and informs current practice. The book provides insights, discussion, and topical briefings as a side-by-side reader to accompany the rise of ESG and sustainability in business and the markets. You will learn about the origins of sustainability in treaties and policy, the differentiation of ESG, sustainability, and social responsibility, and the emerging trends. Readers will examine the respective roles of the corporation, the financial and investment sector, the international bodies, the business interest groups, the NGOs and the philanthropic community. What were once regarded as “nice-to-have” initiatives with voluntary reporting have moved into the regulated sphere with mandatory public disclosures and reporting requirements on greenhouse gas emissions, climate risk and transition planning, biodiversity and nature-related impacts, supply chain transparency, human rights, human capital, and board diversity. The ESG and Sustainability Deskbook for Business threads the needle with best practices, case studies, and takeaways to illustrate the applications and to enhance understanding.

For many entrepreneurs, raising finance is the most important moment in their startup journey. For introverts, this can also be the time when they are at their weakest as well as a time when they absolutely, positively, cannot fail. This book will lead the reader to design that pitching process in the most positive and useful way for their abilities and their strengths. Having the confidence of knowing a presenter's message is clearly constructed and the interaction is engineered for maximum impact will make the presenter more relaxed and therefore, more confident. Featuring a series of case studies and a concise writing approach, this book will guide you through a proven method tested with investors in Europe, the USA and Asia. Author Richard Tierney shares his three decades of global experience as a business coach and media producer across many sectors. When done, The Three Slide Pitch Deck will lead you to greater conversion, greater investment, and more successful business ventures. You will Understand that preparation is the key to success. Focus the pitch process to your strengths. Review case studies that show you how to pitch in differing circumstance. See how you and your company can stand out from the crowd. Who This Book is For Introverted entrepreneurs, company founders and start-ups seeking finance.

You were a happy coder, then the opportunity came to lead a team. Unfamiliar assignments come without warning, team members need care and attention, and then the organization demands that you take on roles you hadn't prepared for and work with people whom you have no idea what they do. It's a struggle to keep up and often feels like thrashing rather than success. And yet, you are the lynchpin. Software Managers are responsible for critical product delivery and information processing in the largest and most impactful global companies and across nearly every industry and public sector. Some of the fundamentals like project management and team leadership have been well documented but the world keeps getting more complicated. This book reveals the breadth of domains that a Software Manager will encounter as they progress from competent contributor to tech lead to manager to increasing levels of responsibility. Even experienced managers will find helpful new perspectives and insights. You will be challenged to think more deeply about the people you may manage, the processes of developing products so complex that no individual can keep it all in their head, and the often-mysterious organizational behaviors surrounding you. Tech companies don't have to throw good practitioners into hard management positions with no training and compound the error as people advance in their management careers; it has just been our habit. We can do better. Mastering the Complex World of Software Management provides realistic scope, attacks the nitty-gritty realities, and challenges the reader to think about their situation so they can solve the myriad technical, process, organizational, and business challenges coming their way. What You Will Learn Master the fundamentals of managing technology teams See how operating teams navigate themselves within a larger organization Understand and work around the landmines in software development Who This Book is For Software developers who are considering a management path for their career; senior tech leads that are responsible for much of a software team's operation; software development managers that want to improve their capabilities in order to take on more responsibilities and earn a promotion.

Explore the startup landscape of East European countries and review the differences in the concepts of limited liability companies and company equity in approaching the market. This quick reference guide is structured around the primary author, Ivan Voras, with additional chapters written by guest collaborators. Chapters are concise and focus on ways to overcome the various obstacles start-ups may face. You'll benefit from regionally relevant advice on finding problems worth solving as a startup, how to hire people, how to raise investment rounds, and how to find and communicate with investors. Eastern Europe has become a region of fast growth after years of mismanagement and stagnation, and it has become the origin of promising startups. The last couple of years have also seen the rise in the number of local VCs who are attempting to address this market, as well as local incubators and accelerators. But there's a problem: the vast majority of educational material available in books and online are written from the perspective of the US market and economy, and are not directly applicable in the complicated nuances of Eastern Europe. The European VC-Funded Startup Guide does not pull punches to highlight the difficulties involved in starting up from this region, but also provides workarounds and advice on how you can overcome them. What You'll LearnCreate and manage an early stage startup in East European countriesRun a young company, hire initial people, and raise investmentsUnderstand venture capitalist funds, which ones to avoid, and what to do with the early investment once you get itWho This Book is ForNovice startup founders in East European countries or more experienced professionals, such as investors and lawyers, interested in the startups in this part of the world.

No matter which point you're currently at on the developer advocacy journey – whether you've already implemented a developer advocate function or you're exploring the possibility – this book is for you. This book provides actionable guidance that business and technology leaders can use to understand the benefits of advocacy, identify what goes into the function, and learn how to maximize the success of developer advocate teams.Developer advocacy is a role that is sometimes hard to quantify and build – but you feel it when you're missing it. Companies are struggling to solidify advocacy despite a strong desire to do so and little guidance exists for businesses seeking to build a developer advocacy program or assess its effectiveness. This book will show you how to get an advocacy program in your business: the basics of having an advocacy program, what tasks and processes need to be set up, and how to identify key stakeholders. You'll see how companies of all types that sell to or engage with technical audiences can develop a developer advocacy strategy. Specifically, you'll learn what developer advocates do, how business can start an advocacy practice in your organization and how to scale and operationalize such a practice once it is in place. The book will further explore the metrics for measuring advocacy success and ways the scale advocacy teams internally and externally. The Power of Developer Advocacy explores the exciting career path of advocacy for developers and engineers. What You Will LearnDiscover what developer advocacy isDetermine which sorts of companies need the functionUnderstand what the primary strategic considerations for developer advocacy isWho This Book is For Existing and future advocacy leaders, would-be developer advocates, developer marketers and DevRel teams and leaders

Apply the industrial engineering science of invention and assembly to how software is described, planned, and built, allowing you to be free to flex your practices according to your needs, putting principle over habit and rules.Reading about Agile practices is like reading diet advice. Everything sounds unique and good; everything starts with good intentions. Then reality sets in. Organizations adapt their practices, but lose sight of grounding principles. A bias toward ceremonies, metrics, and recipes comes at the expense of efficiently getting the real work done. Managers and developers are incentivized to game the system. Organizational metrics become detached from the reality of what is being delivered and how.The Agile Codex shows you how to describe a software project as an acyclic dependency tree of sized work items, scoped to be operated on by one software engineer each and completed within a week. It provides Open Source tooling to help you visualize, sequence and assign these work items to account for risk and increase predictability in your delivery times. You'll see the value of doing this as it applies to efficiently planning and adjusting software projects in the face of learning and change. Finally, the book covers the collaborative agile principles required to bring this skill set and practice to a software team.Throughout the book you'll be reminded that software engineering is not a rote task - it is primarily a skilled, creative act. As such, you'll see that we need to account for the space needed toresearch, plan, create, and adjust. The Agile practices serving the codex deal with this intersection between the engineering problem of software delivery flow, and the human reality of how work is described, owned, executed, and transitioned from one state to another.Everything an agile team does must serve the codex. The creation and the care and feeding of this structured tree of work sets the frame in which all other team actions take place and against which all successes or failures can be evaluated.

Successfully delivering projects at an organization can happen with the careful utilization of a variety of methods and practices. The best approach is a hybrid framework that adapts in real time to your team and its needs. This book addresses the practical realities of project delivery in the 21st century. The agile method is well-known and well-covered. Author Shawn Belling dives deeper with his expertise into organizational management and investigates how to best execute a graceful mix of waterfall methods, agile, and phase-based approaches. Each business and goal requires flexibility for a unique journey to success, and Belling provides the practitioner with practical, real-world examples and patterns of these methodologies. Succeeding with Agile Hybrids is the answer to the diversity of needs within your team. Whether you are an aspiring or current project manager, scrum master, or mid-level manager, this book willgreatly benefit you and your goals for project delivery. Hybrid agile is the future, and you will be well-equipped to tackle it with Succeeding with Agile Hybrids on your shelf.What You'll LearnSee how hybrid agile is a common de facto approach to project managementReview common, practical and real-world examples and patterns of hybrid agile project managementEvaluate projects and organizations for using hybrid agile or agile project managementWho This Book is ForAspiring or current project managers, scrum masters, or mid-level managers with responsibility for projects or professional services delivery in a technical field. Executive leaders, academic and training programs may also pick this book as a text.

Gain a better understanding of implementing SAP S/4HANA-based digital transformations. This book helps you understand the various components involved in the planning and execution of successful SAP S/4HANA projects. Learn how to ensure success by building a solid business case for SAP S/4HANA up front and track business value generated throughout the implementation. Implementing SAP S/4HANA provides a framework for planning and executing SAP S/4HANA projects by articulating the implementation approach used by different components in SAP S/4HANA implementations. Whether you are mid-way through the SAP S/4HANA program or about to embark on it, this book will help you throughout the journey. If you are looking for answers on why SAP S/4HANA requires special considerations as compared to a traditional SAP implementation, this book is for you.What You Will LearnUnderstand various components of your SAP S/4HANA projectForecast and track your success throughout the SAP S/4HANA implementationBuild a solid business case for your SAP S/4HANA programDiscover how the implementation approach varies across these componentsWho This Book Is ForSAP S/4HANA clients (line managers and consultants).

Missy Maker is a middle school girl who loves math and fashion. She sees math in everything she does. She tries to hide this from her friends, because she thinks it's too geeky. Missy hears that the school math club needs more members, but she's worried about what her friends will think if she joins, and she's already committed to joining the fashion club.After an epic internal struggle and with the support of her peers and her quirky, loving family, Missy finds that she can be both a Mathlete and a Fashionista. Missy figures out how to bring the two clubs together to help both groups win. In the process, she discovers that she can openly excel in math and science and still be popular with her peers. She also learns how her math and science skills can help her artistic endeavors.Gain an inside perspective on what it's like when you love math and science and happen to be a girl. Fashion Figures highlights the societal and internal pressures preteen and early-teen girls often face when they excel in these subjects, and it shows strategies for overcoming barriers to being themselves and doing what they love while still fitting in socially.What You'll LearnGirls can have a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects and still be coolGirls can be great at mathMath skills are important in non-STEM centered subject areas like fashion and artMath can be funWho This Book Is For Pre-teen and early-teen girls (9-14 years old)

Create memorable presentations on technical and complex topics in slideware such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple's Keynote for Mac. Learn good pacing and rhythm as well as judicious use of special effects.Whether the goal is to help a sale or to educate, and whether the final delivery is a live presentation, a webinar, or a short video presentation, this book focuses on the particular difficulties linked to technical presentations. You will learn to create a story when there is none, gain the interest of an audience who may not feel as strongly for the topic as the speaker does, turn abstract concepts into visual models, overcome the limitations of the medium (limited space, two dimensions), maintain interest through rhythm, and use effects, not to look cool or get that'WOW'moment, but to serve the message.Getting The Message Across presents a number of field-tested ideas for raising interest. The use of various techniques and carefulscripting will help you, even if you aren't a natural-born show-person, to communicate effectively, and to make your audience remember your message, and not necessarily your slides. This book will teach you:Rhythm and animations, and the use of transitionsTo hold audience interest even with'dry'topicsTo create memorable presentationsTechniques useful for PowerPoint, Keynote for Mac, and any similar presentation medium or environmentWhat You Will LearnTurn austere topics into interesting stories.Give rhythm and pacing to your presentations.Build a narrative during transitions and animations.Hold audience interest and make listeners feel clever.Make people remember your presentation rather than your cool use of slideware.Who This Book Is ForPeople who have to communicate effectively on strongly technical topics. This book targets educators and trainers as well as technical consultants who need to present complex solutions to customers or leads, as well as would-be speakers at scientific or technical conferences. Getting The Message Across is a book for people who want to make their presentations not only more attractive, but really memorable. It is for people who aren't looking for a standing ovation, but who are willing to do what they can to be understood and to make their messages remembered. Getting The Message Across focuses on using slideware such as PowerPoint and Keynote. Such slideware, for all its flaws, is still one of the best ways to communicate, not only live, but also in dematerialized communications (webinars, video tutorials) for reaching an ever-growing audience.

Read hilarious stories with serious lessons that Michael Lopp extracts from his varied and sometimes bizarre experiences as a manager at Apple, Pinterest, Palantir, Netscape, Symantec, Slack, and Borland. Many of the stories first appeared in primitive form in Lopp's perennially popular blog, Rands in Repose. The Third Edition of Managing Humans contains a whole new season of episodes from the ongoing saga of Lopp's adventures in Silicon Valley, together with classic episodes remastered for high fidelity and freshness.Whether you're an aspiring manager, a current manager, or just wondering what the heck a manager does all day, there is a story in this book that will speak to you—and help you survive and prosper amid the general craziness of dysfunctional bright people caught up in the chase of riches and power. Scattered in repose among these manic misfits are managers, an even stranger breed of people who, through a mystical organizational ritual, have been given power over the futures and the bank accounts of many others.Lopp's straight-from-the-hip style is unlike that of any other writer on management and leadership. He pulls no punches and tells stories he probably shouldn't. But they are magically instructive and yield Lopp's trenchant insights on leadership that cut to the heart of the matter—whether it's dealing with your boss, handling a slacker, hiring top guns, or seeing a knotty project through to completion.Writing code is easy. Managing humans is not. You need a book to help you do it, and this is it.What You'll LearnLead engineersHandle conflictHire wellMotivate employeesManage your bossDiscover how to say noUnderstand different engineering personalitiesBuild effective teamsRun a meeting wellScale teamsWho This Book Is ForManagers and would-be managers staring at the role of a manager wondering why they would ever leave the safe world of bits and bytes for the messy world of managing humans. The book covers handling conflict, managing wildly differing personality types, infusing innovation into insane product schedules, and figuring out how to build a lasting and useful engineering culture.

“Laurel Delaney writes in a tremendous spirit of service to entrepreneurial and small business leaders navigating the opportunities of globalization. Whether leading a fresh startup, a small business, or an entrepreneurial growth company seeking greatness, the question of whether—and how—to go global must be addressed. Delaney shows yet again her passionate dedication to serving her readers with deeply practical guidance.”—Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and co-author of Beyond Entrepreneurship Gain the knowledge you need to market, sell, and fulfill orders internationally, taking full advantage of the Internet and the opportunities it creates. This book is the bible for entrepreneurs and small business owners taking their US businesses to the next level of growth through exports. Exporting empowers readers with the can-do confidence to tackle the challenges and opportunities of exporting, leading to greater revenues, stability, and profitability for yourbusiness. With 70 percent of global buying power lying outside US borders, exporting is not just an option for ambitious entrepreneurs—it's an absolute must for building and sustaining a successful future. Typically, exporting first appears on the radar of small businesses as unsolicited inquiries from foreign customers on the web via your email, website, blog, or Facebook page. People outside your country want your product, and they want it now. The problem is that most small business owners do not know how to service these inquiries. What's the best way to ship goods? Do I need a license? Should I sell through wholesalers in specific countries or directly to consumers? How will I get paid? Reflecting the rapid rate of change in national and global trade regulations and economic conditions, this second edition contains extensive updates and enhancements of the first edition's data and citations; actual and prospective multilateral trade agreements, especially the TPP and TTIP; CFR, EAR, and BIS rules; interviews with trade and sector specialists; economic trends and shocks affecting export opportunities and risks in various regions and sectors; and the annotated selection of recommended exporting resource sites. Exporting: The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably: Lays out simple steps and tips to conduct market research, find customers, open new markets, create an export business plan, get paid, and ship goods and services efficiently and profitablyShows you how to use the Internet and social media to mediate the exporting process and expand your international presenceDetails how the US government helps exporters and how to avoid foreign regulatory pitfalls

Tax Insight: For Tax Year 2014 and Beyond will teach you to take control of life's biggest expense—taxes. In your lifetime, you will spend more money on taxes than on anything else. Despite that fact, you likely know the current prices of movies and milk but don't know what your marginal tax rate is. You know where to get the cheapest gallon of gas to save a buck or two, but you don't give a thought to the tax strategies you should be using right now that would save you thousands. It's not hard to understand why--taxes are complicated, unpleasant, and confusing.In Tax Insight, tax expert Casey Murdock opens up the world of taxes with amazing clarity and simplicity. As you will discover, you have within reach numerous ways to reduce your taxes. With everyday language and real-life examples, Tax Insight will give you the keys to minimizing your tax burden.This book contains information you need even if you have a tax advisor or use a program like TurboTax. Tax professionals are busy and sometimes too cautious, and programs often miss opportunities for you to save money. It's also for those of all ages and income levels, including business owners. Tax Insight:Breaks down the key components of taxes with ease and simplicity.Provides a roadmap to paying as little tax as possible.Helps you know if you should do it yourself or hire a professional.While there are many encyclopedic books on taxes—like J.K. Lasser's Your Taxes—there aren't nearly enough that describe the tax code in plain language. Far more than a rehash of impenetrable IRS'help'documents, Tax Insight is organized the way most people think and presents ideas in clear, simple language. If you buy this book and take advantage of its advice, you will save money.

You're in charge of IT, facilities, or core operations for your organization when a hurricane or a fast-moving wildfire hits. What do you do? Simple. You follow your business continuity/disaster recovery plan. If you've prepared in advance, your operation or your company can continue to conduct business while competitors stumble and fall. Even if your building goes up in smoke, or the power is out for ten days, or cyber warriors cripple your IT systems, you know you will survive. But only if you have a plan. You don't have one? Then Disaster Recovery, Crisis Response, and Business Continuity: A Management Desk Reference, which explains the principles of business continuity and disaster recovery in plain English, might be the most important book you'll read in years. Business continuity is a necessity for all businesses as emerging regulations, best practices, and customer expectations force organizations to develop and put into place business continuity plans, resilience features, incident-management processes, and recovery strategies. In larger organizations, responsibility for business continuity falls to specialist practitioners dedicated to continuity and the related disciplines of crisis management and IT service continuity. In smaller or less mature organizations, it can fall to almost anyone to prepare contingency plans, ensure that the critical infrastructure and systems are protected, and give the organization the greatest chance to survive events that can--and do--bankrupt businesses. A practical how-to guide, this book explains exactly what you need to do to set up and run a successful business continuity program. Written by an experienced consultant with 25 years industry experience in disaster recovery and business continuity, it contains tools and techniques to make business continuity, crisis management, and IT service continuity much easier. If you need to prepare plans and test and maintain them,then this book is written for you. You will learn: How to complete a business impact assessment. How to write plans that are easy to implement in a disaster. How to test so that you know your plans will work. How to make sure that your suppliers won't fail you in a disaster. How to meet customer, audit, and regulatory expectations. Disaster Recovery, Crisis Response, and Business Continuity: A Management Desk Reference will provide the tools, techniques, and templates that will make your life easier, give you peace of mind, and turn you into a local hero when disaster strikes.

From Eli Whitney to Henry Ford to Ray Kroc to Steve Jobs, market disruptors have reaped the benefits, including fame and fortune. But do you have to be that rare genius whose unique skills can literally change the world? No. Disrupting a market is a discipline that can be learned. Disruption by Design—a handbook for entrepreneurs, CEOs, product developers, innovators, and others who want to build products or create services that systematically disrupt markets—is the first book that shows you how. There is a huge difference between being an'innovator'and being a'disruptive innovator.'Disruptors change the basis for competition in markets, and they end up controlling market share—typically 40 to 80% of the total revenue and half or more of the total profits in the categories they create. But while many market opportunities have disruptive potential, only a small fraction of those ever succeed in disrupting markets. And, too often, those that do disrupt do so by accident. It doesn't have to be that way. Disruption by Design conveys lessons learned from successful disruptors, and from the many companies that should have disrupted but failed. Beginning with a quick review of the theory and key elements of the patterns of disruptive innovations and how to identify ideas with disruptive potential, Disruption by Design guides you through the design, build, and go-to-market phases that successful disruptors follow.Using many examples of disruptive companies and products, this book takes the popular theory of disruptive innovation and drives it down to the level of practical application. It answers the question,'How do I create a disruptive company, product, and culture?'Disruption by Design:

Exporting Essentials: Selling Products and Services to the World Successfully is for entrepreneurs and small business owners—the makers, movers, and shakers in our world—interested in taking their businesses to the next level of growth through exports. This short, hard-hitting book covers just the essentials, providing the tools you need to tap new markets. And it couldn't be more timely.In the old days, creating an international business was left to relatively few--those with the wherewithal to move boatloads of goods into foreign countries. But now, thanks to the Internet, businesses of all sizes have a huge new opportunity to sell both goods and services globally. Yet only 1% of all U.S. businesses export. Why?Typically, exporting begins with unsolicited inquiries from foreign customers on the web via email, website, blog, or posting on a Facebook page. People outside your country want your product, and they want it now. The problem is that most small business owners do not know how to service these inquiries. What's the best way to ship goods? Do I need a license? Should I sell through wholesalers in specific countries or directly to consumers? How will I get paid?Help is here—Exporting Essentials, an abridged version of the author's Exporting: The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably, equips you with the knowledge you need to sell and fulfill orders internationally. It also imparts a can-do spirit on exporting, leading to greater revenues, stability, and profitability for your business. Exporting Essentials: Selling Products and Services to the World Successfully:Lays out simple steps to conduct market research, find customers, open new markets, get paid, and ship goods and services.Shows you how to adapt your product or service for export.Provides insider tips and strategies to export efficiently andprofitably.Explains how the U.S. government helps exporters.With 70 percent of global buying power lying outside U.S. borders, exporting is not just an option for ambitious entrepreneurs—it's an absolute must for building and sustaining a successful future.

'I am sure practitioners, auditors, and regulators will find the content of Mr Shaik's book of value. The accessible style is also welcome. All in all, a worthwhile addition to the finance literature and one that hopefully helps plug the knowledge gap in this field.'— from the foreword by Professor Moorad Choudhry, Brunel UniversityManaging Derivatives Contracts is a comprehensive and practical treatment of the end-to-end management of the derivatives contract operations, systems, and platforms that support the trading and business of derivative products. This book focuses on the processes and systems in the derivatives contract life cycle that underlie and implement the activities of derivatives trading, pricing, and risk management.Khader Shaik, a Wall Street derivatives platform implementation expert, lays out all the fundamentals needed to understand, conduct, and manage derivatives operations. In particular, he provides both introductory and in-depth treatment of the following topics: derivative product classes; the market structure, mechanics, and players of derivatives markets; types of derivative contracts and life cycle management; derivatives technology platforms, software systems, and protocols; derivatives contracts management; and the new regulatory landscape as shaped by reforms such as Dodd-Frank Title VII and EMIR. Managing Derivatives Contracts focuses on the operational processes and market environment of the derivatives life cycle; it does not address the mathematics or finance of derivatives trading, which are abundantly treated in the standard literature.Managing Derivatives Contracts is divided into four parts. The first part provides a structural overview of the derivatives markets and product classes. The second part examines the roles of derivatives market players, the organization of buy-side and sell-side firms, critical data elements, and the Dodd-Frank reforms. Within the framework of total market flow and straight-through processing as constrained by regulatory compliance, the core of the book details the contract life cycle from origination to expiration for each of the major derivatives product classes, including listed futures and options, cleared and bilateral OTC swaps, and credit derivatives. The final part of the book explores the underlying information technology platform, software systems, and protocols that drive the end-to-end business of derivatives. In particular, it supplies actionable guidelines on how to build a platform using vendor products, in-house development, or a hybrid approach.

If you're one of the millions of Americans who is buried in credit card debt, or maybe you're having trouble deciphering the fine print on your 401(K)—that is, if you even have a 401(K)!—don't dismay. You can start taking steps toward closing your financial illiteracy gap right away with the sound, practical personal finance advice offered up in Reuben Advani's Financial Freedom. Designed for young adult professionals but filled with crucial information that will financially empower readers of all ages, Financial Freedom is more than just your standard personal finance book, which offers up plenty of encouragement but very little actionable advice. Instead, this user-friendly guide stands alone thanks to the clear approach it takes to the topic of personal finance. So, no matter whether you are in the market for a new car, are looking to become a first-time homeowner, want to save up for your child's college education, or have decided to try your hand at investing, you'll find engaging, nonjudgmental answers to your most pressing financial questions in this invaluable resource. Jam-packed with financial guidance yet presented in a gentle, humorous manner, Financial Freedom will teach you: The ins and outs of the world of finance, including targeted advice on how to use its tools to create a better financial future for yourself; The difference between good debt and bad debt—as well as tips and hints for avoiding the latter of the two; The low-down on mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards; Strategies and techniques for investing in stocks, bonds, and real estate; And much more. When it comes to securing your financial future, building a strong foundation of financial knowledge and skills is the smartest thing you can do. Put yourself on the path to long-term financialliteracy, independence, and success with Financial Freedom, which provides all the information you need to make sound financial decisions for a lifetime.

Plan Your Own Estate: Passing on Your Assets and Your Values Legally and Efficiently takes a straightforward and engaging “you”-oriented approach to dealing with one of life's certainties--death. While you'can't take it with you,'this book empowers you to decide how your assets can best help your family when you are gone. Experienced attorney Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss concentrates into this book the experience she's had helping hundreds of families work through their estate plans. Whether you have modest or extensive assets, Plan Your Own Estate provides the knowledge you need to design your plan and the tools you need to move forward. The starting place is your goals. Part 1 of the book asks,'What do you want to accomplish for yourself and your family?'The next step depends on you. Are you looking to educate yourself about how a will or trust is structured, or how tax law works? Part 2, Resource Guides, breaks down tough topics like these and delivers actionable information. Have questions about what your estate plan should say? Part 3, Planning Guides, goes through an attorney's analysis in considering the most frequently asked estate planning questions. Thinking about creating your own estate plan, or hiring an attorney? Part 4, Action Guides, helps you start your estate plan and make sure it's complete, or review any plan you may already have in place. Nobody likes talking about death, taxes, or disability--but not thinking about them will not make them go away. Plan Your Own Estate will help you make a plan, put it in place, and take control of how your money and your values are being passed to your family. This book includes: Comprehensive “plain English” coverage of every aspect of planning your estate Methods to protect your loved ones'inheritance from taxes, immaturity, lack of financial knowledge, incapacity, creditors, and predators Planning guides for families with children, singles, second marriages, business owners, unmarried or same-sex couples, and more Up-to-date information regarding changing laws and best practices

“He may have an MBA, but he's got no common sense.” Assessments like that by a boss can stop a career dead in its tracks. Unfortunately, many believe that common sense is a trait you are either born with or you are not. This book dispels that myth. Through the pages of Common Sense: Get It, Use It, and Teach It in the Workplace readers will learn not only what common sense is, but how to acquire it and use it to enhance their careers, increase their confidence, and take better advantage of business opportunities. Common Sense explores the use—and non-use—of common sense in the workplace and the world around us. It shows how you can become a person of great wisdom and good judgment by simply learning about all the ways people stumble in the thought process. Author Ken Tanner, a seasoned manager, consultant, and former regional vice president for two major U.S. restaurant chains, shows readers how to make better decisions, how to spot and avoid fallacious thinking, how to better assess ambiguous situations, and how to become a mature thinker with a knack for making the right move at just the right time. Best of all, Common Sense shows how to teach this trait to others, especially subordinates and co-workers who can and will do nonsensical things unless you help them learn to reason through their decisions and actions quickly and confidently. The payoff? Your staff will make you look good, greasing the way for greater responsibility and opportunity. This book: Takes you through an understanding of the term'common sense'—what it means and what it doesn't mean. Shows how fallacies create barriers to using common sense. Provides dozens of examples of the application (as well as rejection) of common sense in the business world and elsewhere. Shows how to teach common sense to others.

The ability to create and understand financial models that assess the valuation of a company, the projects it undertakes, and its future earnings/profit projections is one of the most valued skills in corporate finance. However, while many business professionals are familiar with financial statements and accounting reports, few are truly proficient at building an accurate and effective financial model from the ground up. That's why, in The Financial Modeling Handbook, Jack Avon equips financial professionals with all the tools they need to precisely and effectively monitor a company's assets and project its future performance. Based on the author's extensive experience building models in business and finance—and teaching others to do the same—The Handbook of Financial Modeling takes readers step by step through the financial modeling process, starting with a general overview of the history and evolution of financial modeling. It then moves on to more technical topics, such as the principles of financial modeling and the proper way to approach a financial modeling assignment, before covering key application areas for modeling in Microsoft Excel. Designed for intermediate and advanced modelers who wish to expand and enhance their knowledge, The Handbook of Financial Modeling also covers: The accounting and finance concepts that underpin working financial models; How to approach financial issues and solutions from a modeler's perspective; The importance of thinking about end users when developing a financial model; How to plan, design, and build a fully functional financial model; And more. A nuts-to-bolts guide to solving common financial problems with spreadsheets, The Handbook of Financial Modeling is a one-stop resource for anyone who needs to build or analyze financial models.

Tech Job Hunt Handbook is a career management book—just for technology professionals—that reflects today's new economic realities. The world of work is constantly changing, and staying professionally relevant while competing for more specialized tech jobs in areas like cloud computing, mobile and social applications, and big data in a highly competitive global economy is critical. The world is churning out hungry programmers and developers in record numbers, making the global labor market highly competitive. It is now essential to plan a campaign to get a better job as well as your overall career. Retooling your skills and re-branding yourself is mandatory whether you're seeking a new job or intent on retaining current employment. Readers of the Tech Job Hunt Handbook will find tools, practical guidance, and recommendations on how to find the best new tech jobs, how to get noticed, how to ace interviews and get hired, and how to keep those new jobs—until it's time for a better one. As you will learn, learning how to assess and then invest in career management skills leads to long-term competitive advantage and a happier working life. Tech Job Hunt Handbook—for recent graduates, risk-taking innovators, and tech veterans alike—shows how to build a comprehensive online professional profile, identify the companies you're interested in and who you know at those companies, approach interviews with confidence, uncover opportunities in your current company, and understand the new emerging technology markets that could lead to a career rebirth. This book will help you: Find a new or better tech job. Stay relevant and employable despite constant new developments. Manage your tech career for long-term success.

'Follow trends and make money, or don't follow trends and don't make money. Robert Robbins wants investors to follow trends. His effort is to be saluted.'—Michael W. Covel, bestselling author of Trend Following, The Complete Turtle Trader, and Trend Commandments'A must-read for both the experienced and newcomers. The student has bypassed his mentor.'—Ralph Bloch, consultant at Bulls, Bears, & Bloch'Rob presents both the new and experienced trader with insights needed for successful trading. As a long-time trend follower, I share many of Rob's thoughts in Tactical Trend Trading. If you are truly interested in learning an investment strategy without the hype from a real trader, then this is the one definitive source.'—Andrew Abraham, author of Learn How to Trend Follow Conventional wisdom has long insisted that the best—if not the only—stock market strategy worth employing is the traditional buy-and-hold model. But buy-and-hold investing is no match for today's turbulent markets, where real change happens every day and companies and entire industries are stamped out in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, there is a better way, one that enables market participants to preserve their capital while increasing their net gains in even the most volatile of markets. That way is trend trading, and with Tactical Trend Trading as your guide, you will be better prepared than ever before to tackle—and profit from—every curveball that today's topsy-turvy markets throw your way. Written by hedge fund manager and trend trader Robert Robbins, Tactical Trend Trading starts out from the basic premise that if market participants learn to embrace change, they will be better able to harness its ability to unlock profits in every corner of the markets. To that end, Robbins equips you not only with the technical trading tools you need to analyzethe market backdrop and identify and trade with market-prevailing trends, but also psychological guidelines that will enable you to blast through the emotional obstacles that stand in the way of profit generation and risk control. Rich in detail yet easy to digest and implement, Tactical Trend Trading covers: The basics of trend trading, including what it is, its primary benefits and drawbacks, what type of commitment it entails, and how you can use it every day to profit from market volatility; How to leverage technical analysis and sentiment indicators to pinpoint profit-generating stocks, sectors, and trends, predict market corrections, and execute perfectly timed trades; Mental strategies for surmounting the ingrained psychological and emotional habits that prevent traders from realizing true financial success; Techniques for developing a systematic approach to the markets that will enable you to survive and thrive in up, down, and sideways markets; And much more. Along the path to becoming a successful trend trader, your technical acumen and mental fortitude will be tested every step of the way. Prepare yourself for the brave new world of today's ever-changing financial markets with Tactical Trend Trading, which provides you with all the moneymaking insights you need to capture trends, trade with the flow, and pull in profits, regardless of whether market conditions are good or bad.

“Conversations with some of the sharpest minds in advertising lead the reader gently into the heart of the business. A great read whether you're starting out in advertising or simply want to pick up some tips from the greats.” —Mark Tungate, author of Adland: A Global History of Advertising and Branded Beauty: How Marketing Changed the Way We Look “In Advertisers at Work, Tracy Tuten conducts interviews with some of the ad world's biggest players. The interviews—ranging from advertising legend Mike Hughes to leaders of the next generation like David Oakley and Susan Credle—reveal much about the nature of creativity and why we all respond to certain ads either with a laugh or a purchase. Tuten's skillful questions also highlight how these men and women learned the craft, found mentors, and landed jobs doing things they'didn't know you could get paid to do.'They talk about successes and failures, their hopes and dreams, and the direction of the industry as we move into the age of social and branded media. If you are in the field of advertising or one of those people who often say, ‘Hey, did you see that commercial...,'you'll find Advertisers at Work a valuable addition to your bookshelf.” —John Sweeney, Distinguished Professor, School of Journalism University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill;Former Associate Creative Director, Foote, Cone & Belding In Advertisers at Work, readers will gain insights from the most interesting people working in the field of advertising today, told in their own words. Guided by interviewer Dr. Tracy Tuten, 18 advertising leaders share their favorite stories, debunk the myths of advertising, make predictions on the industry's future, pay homage to the lions of the past, and offer insights into what it takes to win in the ad game today. Each chapter is devotedto one advertising executive, showcasing that person's unique vision and perspective into the world of advertising. Who are these leaders? Talent, perseverance, creativity, and pure grit set these people apart—and that's where their similarities end. With a mix of senior contributors and up-and-coming talent representing the creative crafts, media, planning, and account services from a variety of agencies and locales, this book pulls back the curtain and invites readers to live each leader's experiences up close. They'll learn from the advertisers at work. Every interview shows how advertising leaders have an impact on a day-to-day basis: charting strategy, making effective pitches, managing clients and key partners, calling in the creative muse, reading the public's mood, developing the right mix of media to launch a campaign, or pouncing on opportunities the rest of us can't see. This book: Shares the untold stories of senior executives and rising stars in advertising Demystifies the craft of advertising from the perspectives of creatives, media strategists, planners, and account executives Provides insights, strategies, and tactics readers can put to work immediately Offers predictions on the rapidly changing advertising landscape Other books in the Apress At Work Series: Coders at Work, Seibel, 978-1-4302-1948-4 Venture Capitalists at Work, Shah & Shah, 978-1-4302-3837-9 CIOs at Work, Yourdon, 978-1-4302-3554-5 CTOs at Work, Donaldson, Seigel, & Donaldson, 978-1-4302-3593-4 Founders at Work, Livingston, 978-1-4302-1078-8 European Founders at Work, Santos, 978-1-4302-3906-2 Women Leaders at Work, Ghaffari, 978-1-4302-3729-7 Advertisers at Work, Tuten, 978-1-4302-3828-7 Gamers at Work, Ramsay. 978-1-4302-3351-0

In CIOs at Work, noted author Ed Yourdon interviews many of the world's most influential chief information officers. You will gain insights from the first CIO of the USA, take a peek into the future with the CIO at Google, learn the unique role IT plays in testing Microsoft applications, and much more. Yourdon focuses on how his interviewees tackle the day-to-day work of managing information in their organizations while revealing much more: How they got there, how they manage and allocate resources, and how they interact with business units and assure that their companies take advantage of technologies and automation to make employees even more productive. Surveying a variety of unique corporations, you'll get a great sense of what can be done and what is being done now in organizations around the world.'Simply put, Ed Yourdon's CIOs at Work is a fascinating read. The author has managed to illuminate the real challenges confronting the Chief Information Officer. The technical expertise of his extraordinary interviewees and their personal insights into the changing role of technology in business are in no short supply. But, what really stands out— beyond the banter about'clouds,''agile development,'—is the human dimension. More than anything else, the CIO is wrestling with profound issues: the proliferation of choices, the speed of change, the shorter attention spans of consumers, the'everyone's an expert'mindset, and the growing expectation for limitless and low cost computing resources that are as open and accessible as they are safe, secure and accurate. At last, the CIO has a human face, but also an enormous burden that can only be appreciated by reading Yourdon's probative interviews.'—Jon Toigo, Managing Principle, Toigo Partners International Featured CIOs: Ben Fried, Google Tony Scott, Microsoft Monte Ford, American Airlines Mittu Sridhara, Ladbrokes Steve Rubinow, NYSE Lew Temares (retired), University of Miami Mark Mooney, McGraw-Hill Dan Wakeman, Educational Testing Services Lynne Ellen, Detroit Energy Becky Blalock, Southern Company Ken Bohlen, Arizona Public Services Roger Gurnani, Verizon Ashish Gupta, British Telecom Joan Miller, U.K. Parliament Vivek Kundra, (first CIO), U.S. Government Paul Strassmann, (retired), Kraft Foods Other books in the Apress At Work Series: CTOs at Work, Donaldson, Seigel, & Donaldson, 978-1-4302-3593-4 Coders at Work, Seibel, 978-1-4302-1948-4 Venture Capitalists at Work, Shah & Shah, 978-1-4302-3837-9 Founders at Work, Livingston, 978-1-4302-1078-8 European Founders at Work, Santos, 978-1-4302-3906-2 Women Leaders at Work, Ghaffari, 978-1-4302-3729-7 Advertisers at Work, Tuten, 978-1-4302-3828-7 Gamers at Work, Ramsay. 978-1-4302-3351-0