The Exponential Era. David Espindola
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data: Names: Espindola, David, author. | Wright, Michael W., author. Title: The exponential era: strategies to stay ahead of the curve in an era of chaotic changes and disruptive forces / David Espindola, Michael W. Wright. Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley‐IEEE Press, [2021] | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2020044905 (print) | LCCN 2020044906 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119746515 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119746522 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119746539 (epub) Subjects: LCSH: Business. | Business enterprises–Technological innovations. Classification: LCC HF5351 .E76 2021 (print) | LCC HF5351 (ebook) | DDC 338/.064–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020044905 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020044906
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First and foremost, the glory belongs to the Lord.Second, I dedicate the book to the people that I love:Dawn, Kayla, Andre, Nair, Lidia, Juliana and Clarice. –David
To all of my daughters who are, and will be,leaders in our global quest to improve our only home, earth.And to my son for being a net contributor to a better future in business and life. –Michael
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David Espindola is a Partner of Intercepting Horizons, a strategic advisory services firm. He also serves on the advisory board of the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota.
As a former CIO, he has developed and implemented global technology strategies to drive business growth and has been part of the leadership team that delivered a business transformation program resulting in 5× revenue growth to more than $4 billion. Previously, as a consulting leader, he managed large and complex engagements at strategic accounts and sold several million dollars in software and services.
Before that, Espindola held leadership roles at two fast‐growing tech startups in Silicon Valley. One spun off into a successful business still operating today. The other grew 5× during his tenure, reaching over $400 million in revenues, resulting in a successful IPO.
Espindola was awarded an MBA from the American University and a BS in Engineering Management from the University of North Dakota. He is also a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Education program.
Michael W. Wright is a Partner of Intercepting Horizons and the author of the acclaimed New Business Normal. He is an active board member, a Sr. Fellow at the University of Minnesota (UMN), Chairman Emeritus of the Advisory Board for the UMN Technological Leadership Institute, and formerly an adjunct professor at Carlson School of Management where he taught strategic leadership.
In his extensive career, he has served as CEO, COO, and CMO, board member, author, business professor, futurist, speaker, and proven entrepreneur. He has delivered more than three decades of global P&L leadership for diverse public and privately held early stage to mature technology enterprises at scale. Throughout his career he has focused on leading‐edge semiconductor equipment and materials, fluid flow and filtration, instrumentation, software, cost modeling, and simulation product portfolios.
Wright is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Program, and a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Kellogg Executive Programs.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the wisdom, support, and guidance of many incredible people. First, the authors would like to express our gratitude to our families for their love and patience as we spent endless hours immersed in our thoughts in front of a computer. We would also like to thank all the people at Wiley‐IEEE Press who worked diligently to make this project successful. Our special thanks to Dr. Tariq Samad for his guidance, reviews, and insights in the early stages of this venture, and to Mary Hatcher for helping us through the publishing process.
We would like to thank all the reviewers who kindly provided thoughtful input that further guided the development of the book, including Patrick McKinney, Don O'Shea, Jeff Hand, Dr. Alfred Marcus, Dr. Juan Bardina, and Dr. Rob Bodor.
Our special thanks to the University of St. Thomas, and in particular to Stefanie Lenway, Lisa Abendroth, and Carleen Kerttula for believing in us and giving us an opportunity to share our thoughts on converging technologies shaping the Exponential Era, resulting in the conception of the Contex Conference. Our thanks also go to the Technological Leadership Institute (TLI) at the University of Minnesota, its leadership, staff, and the advisory board for the opportunity to turn our passion in technology and education into contributions, as small as they may be, that hopefully will have a positive impact in the education of future technology leaders.
We would like to acknowledge all the organizations and individuals who we have had the privilege to work and interact with throughout our careers. You have allowed us to learn, to experiment, to gather, and to synthesize a lifetime of knowledge and experience, much of which has been shared in the pages of this book.
Finally, we would like to thank all of our colleagues, partners, contributors, and customers at Intercepting Horizons who have supported us and who continue to inspire us to do our work.
FOREWORD
As the Commander of United States Central Command from 2016 until 2019, we confronted unprecedented complexity and change daily. If it was not the adversaries we faced in places like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, it was the deep underlying tensions coursing through the region: corruption, disenfranchisement, poor governance, extreme poverty, toxic sectarian narratives, and malign influences. On a day‐to‐day basis, we navigated near‐term problems reasonably well. Still, the region’s