Special Edition: HR Tech 2025, Day 1 Report
Musical accompaniment for today's newsletter. Full transparency: I am going to set an expectation with you that I have every intention of fulfilling but, in all likelihood, zero probability of doing so. Simply put: A Day 1 Report presumes Day 2 and Day 3 reports. Maybe? We'll see. Don't get your hopes up. Just enjoy the moment while it lasts.
As long as I am calibrating expectations, here's another one: Tech conferences are incubators of bullsh!t. What follows is idle chatter and shameless opinion mongering. It's also a bunch of people who, when you ply them with a few drinks and relative anonymity to offer unguarded and unattributed thoughts, will tell you the absolute straight dope. How do you tell the difference? That's up to you. This is a vibe check, not peer-reviewed science.
If there is a theme this year, it's probably this: Is Enterprise Software Dead? Are the power brands of the past few decades sputtering into irrelevance underneath crushing technical debt and the inability to respond to agentic AI upstarts.
It depends on who you ask.
You don't need to go far to find people willing to say absolutely. "Why would you buy [insert brand name here] when you can build an AI replacement that is 80% as good at a fraction of the price?" It's a fair question. They say that someone is going to come along and build the first one-person unicorn. Will it be in Work Tech?
Nope.
The one-person unicorn could come out of the consumer app ranks, but if anything, the replacement for enterprise software is probably enterprises building their own solutions with AI tools. For example, why buy an ATS when you can spin up Cursor or Loveable and crank one out on your own?
And this is where the strongest arguments for Enterprise Software not being toast begin to emerge. Compliance and security are pretty powerful reasons to go with a brand with a proven track record.
So, if the power brands of enterprise software have a future, what does it look like? The power of the platform is in the historic data that AIs just plug into. The UX of many platforms will become mostly irrelevant to all but a few superusers. Just tell the platform what you want to do and ... presto-change-o!
The world is changing. That much is for sure. What it's changing into and how fast? That's anybody's guess.
What else is going on today?
Workday Gives HR Tech The Big Middle Finger
It's sort of well-known that Workday has no particular love for the #HRTechConf. Is it a coincidence that #WorkdayRising is scheduled to overlap with HR Tech. Perhaps not entirely. And when news came down that Workday was buying AI firm Sana for $1.1 billion, it was a big surprise to many who would be expected to be briefed in advance. One snarky comment: "Does anyone know how much [Redacted Name Of One Well-Known Industry Figure] made off of the transaction?" Funny, yes. But we're going to steer clear of that one. Overheard from people who would know: Like the Paradox acquisition, Sana is another good get in building a cogent AI strategy. Other Workday news not from HR Tech:
Overheard
" UKG has been quiet on the AI acquisition front, but get ready. Jennifer Morgan is turning everything on its head. In a few months, you are going to be hearing things."
Employment: Things Are Tough Out There
One of the under-the-radar reasons some folks show up at HR Tech: Looking for work. One sobering reminder of the ugly reality of today's job market is that college graduates are unfortunately leading the ranks of the long-term unemployed. PSA: If you can help someone out with a kind word or a referral, pay it forward.
Today's headlines:
That's it for right now. Once more unto the breach, dear friends. Stay tuned.
At the show and want to meet? Hit me here.
Everybody love everybody,
Steve
Tech conferences are incubators of bullsh!t. Classic Love this
Founder of Flow Agency | B2B marketing for SaaS and professional services
1moI know you said not to have high hopes for Day 2 and 3, but I am already crossing my fingers that you will do it!
Fractional Content Strategist | Developing the Next Generation of AI-Powered Content Teams & Their Leaders
1mo“And this is where the strongest arguments for Enterprise Software not being toast begin to emerge. Compliance and security are pretty powerful reasons to go with a brand with a proven track record.” If enterprise software is mainly about transferring risk, all these acquisitions may very well accelerate their own demise as we see greater regulation and calls for transparency around the AI in the systems. Compliance on your own homegrown tool may start to feel less risky than trying to make sense of multiple outsourced tools that themselves are roll ups of multiple other tools.
So much to speculate! Oh the possibilities
Workplace Expert // LinkedIn Learning Instructor // Speaker // Coach // Advisor // Volunteer
1moThe best financial wellness solution is universal basic income. It’s coming. Sam Altman and the musk who shall not be named support it. Which payroll company will help America distribute it? I have thoughts, and it’s not the treasury department. More from me when I’m not scooping litter and getting ready to see you!