Interview with Ed Karthaus, CEO – Yappn

On Natural Language Processing Technology

MTS: Tell us a little bit about your role and how you got here.

I am the President & CEO of Yappn Corp, I was recruited by the Board of Directors.

MTS: Given the massive proliferation of NLP, how do you see the market evolving over the next few years?

I believe we will see major advancements in NLP technology and practical applications.  Improved and new algorithms will allow computers to learn more quickly and in a more in-depth, comprehensive way.  These advancements, in turn, will power solutions that address business opportunities and challenges.  NLP technology today is exciting and will only get better.

MTS: What do you see as the single most important NLP technology trend or development that’s going to impact us?

The short answer is deep neural network technologies.  Deep learning techniques combined with NLP will allow for the development of powerful models with advanced AI, which will be capable of solving real-world problems.

MTS: What are the biggest challenges startups face when buying a web or social media translation platform?

The biggest challenge is how to create a competitive advantage by differentiating your company’s platform from others.  You have to be able to clearly identify the opportunity you want to address and align this to a long-term, iterative development and investment plan.  This is a marathon, not a sprint..

MTS: What startups are you watching/keen on right now?

I’ve been fortunate in my career to work with and/or support many startups and early stage companies.  I’m not focused on one or two but I tend to watch those that are data-based solutions or involve or promote social engagement and collaboration.

MTS: What tools does your marketing stack consist of in 2017?

This is a very timely question as we are currently in the process of retooling our marketing stack.  Integration with our suite of translation solutions is key.  Once completed we will have a variety of tools that will greatly enhance our ability to market our solutions for B2B and B2C2B.  CRM, web analytics, retargeting, campaign management and social media integration are key components.  We are also looking at the Vidyard video platform as being a key part of our strategy.

MTS: Could you tell us about a standout digital campaign?

We recently completed a digital campaign which delivered great results.  It was primarily based on content syndication & Facebook. We achieved a high number of impressions and clicks from Facebook.  This proved to be a good channel for brand awareness.  The majority of our leads were generated through content syndication. Given our solutions and market audience, our results were as expected.

MTS: How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a marketing leader?

I will continue to invest and focus on AI related efforts that include training, R&D, recruitment and outsourcing.  This will allow us to improve our existing products and services, as well as introduce new ones.

This Is How I Work

MTS: One word that best describes how you work.

Collaboratively.

MTS: What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Microsoft Office suite, Google Chrome, Datanyze, Owler, CRM, Email, cell phone and text.

MTS: What’s your smartest work related shortcut or productivity hack?

A cellular device fully equipped with all desktop tools.

MTS: What are you currently reading? (What do you read, and how do you consume information?)

The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen.  I enjoy reading books on historical events or on business strategy and insights.  History has a great way of teaching you lessons based on experiences of others.  Reading books on business strategy and insights provides new ideas on how to analyze situations and execute.

MTS: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Believe in yourself and never ever give up.

MTS: Something you do better than others – the secret of your success?

That’s an interesting question.  I’m not going to judge if it is better than others, but my secret is to focus on organizational effectiveness and instill a consensus-based decision-making model.

MTS: Tag the one person whose answers to these questions you would love to read:

Bill Gates

MTS: Thank you, Ed! We hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.