Of all the categories in the purview of the Revenue Brew journalist, none quite divides opinion among readers, leaders, and industry insiders like the business of sales tech. It is perhaps the noisiest bucket that our work goes into, and the one (honorable mention to “strategy and leadership”) that is changing the fastest. Our readers want to know where that change is happening, how it applies to their organization, and where best to deploy capital and resources to harness its capabilities. In short, AI is reshaping the future of sales and go-to-market tactics, and it’s our job to capture that change.

AI tools offer great rewards, but they often pose a sizable risk. From generating phantom work, to rogue agents deleting your company’s database (yes, that actually happened) there is a lot to be aware of.

Revenue Brew conducted a survey looking at how organizations are using tech platforms, tools, and AI today, where implementations are succeeding (or not), and how teams are preparing for the next stage of progression. We have plucked out some of the key responses, and along with the testimony of several experts in our ecosystem, we will do our damnedest to make sense of it for you. This report offers no grand conclusions, but simply places markers in the ground for where we are now and pointers to where we may be heading.

Click here for our full State of the Industry report.—LI, BS, AF

Somewhere in Silicon Valley, licensed IP is creating the foundation for the next great technological innovation. Silicon and software IP developer Ceva is an integral player in this ecosystem and the wider Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). Its IP enables intelligent edge tech (anything from laptops to wearables, or even automotive platforms) to sense, connect, and process data locally; its customers range from Sony to Samsung.

Back in January we caught up with Richard Kingston, Ceva’s VP of market intelligence and investor relations, for a Q&A on the impact of AI. This time around, Revenue Brew spoke with the broader leadership team to decipher how Ceva executes sales, creates cutting-edge technology, and crafts a tactful revenue strategy.

Taking calculated risks

CEO Amir Panush says one of the reasons the company has been successful is its ability to execute calculated research and development to grow its customer base.“We are investing more than 60% of revenue annually, and very constantly, on R&D, pure R&D,” Panush said.

The strategy to build a sustainable revenue foundation has meant investing in technology that can be applied across bluetooth, wi-fi, and solar. Neural processing units (NPUs)—key building blocks for the acceleration of scalable AI—are another of Ceva’s key products.

Keep reading here for expert insight into Ceva’s business model.—BS

The main topic at the recent inaugural ReCon, which described itself as the only conference focused “exclusively” on the resale industry, may have been used clothing, but much of the discussion was about new technology.

Many of the executives—from resale marketplaces, brands that have launched resale e-commerce sites, and so-called resale-as-a-service vendors who build and administer those sites—weighed in on how AI is transforming the market for secondhand products.

Here are a few things they saw when they peered into their gently used crystal balls.

“Digital closets” will spur both supply and demand

One sign of the health of the resale industry is that sellers, from huge marketplaces to your Aunt Martha on eBay, are scrambling to keep up with demand.

A perennial challenge for the industry is that countless consumers have clothes hidden in the back of their closets that may not suit (or fit) them anymore, but that some would-be purchasers would crawl over broken glass to buy.

“The biggest piece that we’re watching is AI enablement, particularly of seller services,” Colleen Baum, senior partner at McKinsey & Company, said during her presentation.

Keep reading for more on the impact of AI advancements on resale.—AAN

Big bank earnings give cause for relief and concern (CFO Brew)

Consumer spending hasn’t been totally derailed by rising prices (at least, not yet), but the full picture of the war in Iran’s impact hasn’t come fully into focus.

Startups are getting in on the growing doula industry (Healthcare Brew)

Payers, providers, and women’s health companies hope doulas can reduce maternal mortality.

How IT pros are thinking about AI and budgets amid economic uncertainty (IT Brew)

“CIOs will once again need to double down on IT spend management through prioritization, targeted cost cutting, tight vendor management, and other techniques,” one Forrester report states.

Forget sifting through endless listings. Revenue Brew and CollabWORK highlight only a handful of roles each week, chosen for your interests and industry. Click here to view the full job board.

• VP, Chief Revenue Officer, DMS at Deluxe Corporation
• Chief Revenue Officer at MyReview.app
• Chief Revenue Officer at Denodo Technologies, Inc.
• Chief Revenue Officer at Harmonic Executive
• Chief Revenue & Growth Officer at Nashville Public Radio