Posts By: Walt Duflock
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Some Thoughts on AI’s Impact on Tech Segments and AgTech
AI is changing how we (and for this article I mean we to specifically be AgTech startups) should think about engineering talent. I have been listening to and reading a lot of content about AI and its impact on businesses. One of the under-recognized aspects is the multiple impacts it is likely going to have on organization-wide engineering for startups. Based on what I’m hearing and reading, I…
What the Drone Ban Means for Growers
As many of you know, drones are seeing increased use cases for grower operations, including spray drones, scouting drones, aerial surveillance drones, and high-tech aerial scarecrows with dog fighting included! Well, some changes made in December are having an impact on drones in ag. These changes resulted in Western Growers hosting an online webinar that we recorded and are making available…
The AgTech Cost of Overpromising
Caroline Petrow-Cohen put a great piece out in the LA Times on Monarch Tractor and it tells the whole tale of how a company and a sector can get over-hyped and lead to bad results for all concerned. I had a chance to talk to Caroline last week, and she was focused on the right stuff: what happened with Monarch, why were they so hyped up initially, and what went wrong? She was really asking if…
Four Reasons Hort Connections Stands Out as a Great Event
I want to share a few thoughts about Hort Connections and what made it so special: 1) The energy was really high. People got up early for 7:00 am breakfasts every day and stayed late for happy hours and dinners every night. It was up early and up late all week, from the time things got going in earnest on Monday through the field demos just outside Adelaide on Friday. From my perspective, it…
WG Innovation Team has an Open Position: Senior Director of Innovation
I am very excited to share that we have an open position on the WG Innovation team. This is a Senior Director of Innovation role, and it will be a replacement for Dennis Donohue's role. So yes, whoever gets this job has big shoes to fill! Here is what you need to know about the position. 1) The primary focus will be on managing the "less chemistry" portfolio that includes: (1) precision…
The Future of Ag Drones: Navigating Chinese Supplier Drone Ban Webinar
Join industry experts who are addressing critical regulatory and supply chain developments related to the Chinese drone ban as it relates to AgTech. If you're working with drones or interested in how drones are impacting ag, Ben Palone and I will be talking ag drones with Briana Layfield and Kevin McDonald next Thursday. Drones are emerging as a space with multiple possible use cases, and…
Five Ways Western Growers and Plug and Play Are Accelerating AgTech
Last week Plug and Play (PnP) held their semi-annual Summit in Sunnyvale. It was a great week with 3,500 – 4,000 attendees hearing from thought leaders, startups, and investors about what’s going on with venture capital both generally and in specific segments like AgTech and FoodTech. It was super cool to see AgTech absolutely own the day three agenda this year with a full set of AgTech…