Though digital transformation has accelerated in the Covid-era, there’s been ample evolution over the past decade that’s been overshadowed. Panning back to the larger evolutionary arc, where are we now with local digital marketing and SMB SaaS? Uberall CEO Florian Huber breaks it down for us…

Key Takeaways

Here are a few key messages or insights that we gleaned from this session.

• Partnerships are more important now than ever for software companies. Integrations and APIs can help companies gain (or distribute) capability in lower-friction ways.
• Beyond integrations, sometimes bigger guns are needed, which leads to M&A activity. Uberall has been a poster child in acquisitions as shown in Sweet IQ and MomentFeed among others.
• This is necessary in core functions for “strategic shortcuts for a more holistic product,” says Huber – the perennial build vs. buy decision.
• The name of the game is to recognize the right opportunities when M&A is the right tool as opposed to building, partnering, or simply integrating.
• After all that, the resulting products have to be delivered in seamless ways. Look to Tesla and Ulta beauty as models. Even though they’re selling atoms (not bits), there are key lessons for software.
  • Uber has a tech-fueled purchase/checkout process that alleviates the traditional pain points of buying a car.
  • Ulta beauty has virtual makeup try-ons via AR and smart mirrors in its stores.
• These are all moves that exemplify the hybrid world we live in. Not only are we working under hybrid/remote models, but products are blending atoms and bits in elegant ways.
• Product development should think in these terms and skate to where the puck is going for tomorrow’s increasingly digitally-infused physical world (a.k.a, the physical-world metaverse).

Shift Happens: Succeeding Together Through Another Monumental Shift

Nearly 10 years ago Florian Hubner co-founded Uberall with his close friend David Federhen. The company’s founding mission was to connect local consumers to businesses. Today, this mission has never been more important. As we all prepare for the next chapter in the aftermath of a global pandemic, Florian will share his learnings from the past decade and the opportunity he sees to rethink how business gets done in both the digital and real world.

Florian Hubner, CEO – Uberall