In almost every boardroom, the conversation inevitably turns to AI. But as a leader, I’ve found that the most pressing issues we face in the Retail, Tech and Media industries are far more fundamental. They’re about money, talent, and audience, and they demand a strategic playbook that goes beyond just implementing the latest tech.
Here’s my take on the biggest non-AI issues facing executives today, along with some strategies I believe are critical for navigating them.
Retail and Consumer Goods: Rebuilding Resiliency and Reconnecting with the Customer
In the Retail and Consumer Goods sectors, the focus has shifted from hyper-growth to a renewed emphasis on fundamentals. Executives are battling a perfect storm of supply chain volatility, changing consumer habits, and a constant pressure to balance value with rising costs.
- Supply Chain Fragility: Global disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and shifting consumer demands have exposed the vulnerabilities in our supply chains. This isn’t just about managing logistics; it’s about rebuilding a resilient, agile system that can withstand the unexpected.
- My Tip for Executives: Diversify your sourcing and distribution channels. The “just-in-time” model is not dead, but it must be balanced with a “just-in-case” strategy. Invest in real-time visibility into your inventory and logistics, then consider nearshoring or reshoring a portion of your production to reduce your reliance on long, unpredictable routes.
- The Value-versus-Price Paradox: Inflationary pressures have made consumers more price-sensitive than ever, yet their expectations for convenience, quality, and a seamless omnichannel experience continue to rise.
- My Tip for Executives: The answer isn’t simply to cut prices. It’s to redefine value. Lean into private label brands that offer quality at a lower cost and highlight how your loyalty programs provide real, tangible savings. At the same time, double down on creating a superior customer experience, both in-store and online, because consumers are willing to pay for convenience and service.
- The Talent Gap in a High-Turnover Industry: Labor costs remain a primary concern, and the retail industry’s high turnover rate makes it a constant battle to attract and retain skilled employees, especially at the frontline level.
- My Tip for Executives: Look at your frontline employees as a strategic asset, not a cost center. Implement performance-based incentives and provide clear pathways for career advancement. Empower your store managers with the autonomy and tools they need to succeed and invest in technology that optimizes scheduling and reduces administrative burden, freeing them up to focus on the customer and their teams.
Technology: Thriving in a High-Stakes, High-Cost Market
The era of cheap money is over. For those of us in the technology sector, this is the single most significant factor reshaping our industry. It’s a triple threat of elevated costs, looming debt, and market consolidation.
- The Fundraising Shift: The days of raising capital on a vision and a few promising metrics are gone. Investors are now laser-focused on profitability, sustainable growth, and clear paths to positive cash flow. This is a dramatic shift from the “growth at all costs” mentality of the past decade.
- My Tip for Executives: Forget vanity metrics. The new currency is efficiency. Focus on your unit economics, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and lifetime value (LTV) from day one. Build a business that can become profitable on its own, not one that is perpetually reliant on the next funding round.
- Market Consolidation: With capital less available, the industry is witnessing a “survival of the fittest” scenario. Well-funded, established companies are acquiring promising startups, not just for their tech, but to gain market share and talent.
- My Tip for Executives: If you’re a startup, don’t wait to be acquired. Instead, identify your core value proposition and become indispensable to a few key clients. Prove your unit economics. This will make you a far more attractive and valuable target for a strategic acquisition, or better yet, position you to grow independently when the market recovers.
The Media Industry: Winning the Battle for Attention and Profitability
The media landscape is more fragmented and competitive than ever. The old business models are no longer sufficient to guarantee success.
- Subscription Fatigue: Consumers are overwhelmed by the number of streaming services and digital subscriptions. They’re cutting back, and the a-la-carte model is proving unsustainable.
- My Tip for Executives: The future isn’t just about one model. Lean into a hybrid approach. By offering both ad-supported and premium tiers, you can capture a wider audience. Partner with other media companies to create bundles that offer more value to the consumer than any single service can provide alone. It’s time to build ecosystems, not just silos.
- The Creator Economy: Our biggest competition isn’t always other legacy media companies. It’s often an independent creator with a smartphone and a loyal following. This trend is causing a talent drain as our top journalists, producers, and editors leave to build their own brands.
- My Tip for Executives: It’s impossible to compete with the freedom of being an independent creator, so don’t try. Instead, create a new model. Offer your top talent a stake in the content they produce. Provide them with the infrastructure, marketing, and distribution they need, in exchange for a revenue share. This turns your talent from an employee to a partner, giving them the entrepreneurial control they crave while keeping them in your orbit.
The Unifying Thread: Talent, Culture, and Leadership
Underpinning these industry-specific challenges is one universal issue: the war for talent. Every company is competing for top-tier professionals, and money alone isn’t enough to win.
- The Talent Crisis: The rise of remote work has made the hiring pool global, but it has also intensified competition, particularly from well-funded tech giants. Retaining talent requires more than just a high salary; it demands a focus on career development, work-life balance, and a culture of continuous innovation.
- My Tip for Executives: The most valuable employees want to feel heard and have ownership over their work. Give your teams the autonomy to solve complex problems and the freedom to experiment. Provide transparent career paths and reward people not just for their output, but for their contributions to the team and the company’s long-term vision.
In a world that is constantly in flux, the most successful leaders are those who can look past the noise and focus on these core challenges. It’s not about finding a single solution, but about building a resilient, adaptable organization that can pivot and thrive no matter what comes next.