The Microsoft Imagine Cup, now in its 23rd year, stands as the world’s premier global technology startup competition exclusively for student founders. This year’s focus? AI-powered solutions built on the Microsoft Cloud. If you’re a student with a game-changing idea that harnesses the power of AI, the Imagine Cup offers you the perfect stage to transform that idea into a market-ready startup.

Participants in the Imagine Cup are not only challenged to innovate—they are empowered. Teams gain free access to cutting-edge AI technologies, including Azure AI services, along with industry-leading models like OpenAI GPT-4. Throughout the competition, participants receive expert coaching and mentorship, ensuring their ideas are both technically sound and business-ready. Networking opportunities with global industry leaders are another key benefit, opening doors for recognition and collaboration.

The competition doesn’t stop at innovation; it builds pathways to real-world impact. Finalists get the chance to present their solutions on a global stage, with winning teams receiving cash prizes and an exclusive mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. For those looking to make an impact through AI, the Imagine Cup provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Key Deadlines:

• Optional idea submission by October 31, 2024, for early feedback.
• MVP (Minimum Viable Product) submission by January 22, 2025.

This competition has consistently proven to be a launchpad for innovative ideas that tackle real-world challenges. The 2025 edition promises even more excitement, opportunity, and global collaboration. Dream it. Build it. Live it.

Ready to innovate? Register now for the 2025 Imagine Cup and start building the future!

For more details, visit the Imagine Cup website!

International Suit Up Day, popularized by fans of How I Met Your Mother and Barney Stinson’s iconic line, “Suit up!” was once a humorous nod to dressing sharply, no matter the occasion. Celebrated each October 13th (eg, today), this day encourages people to don their best suits and channel a sense of confidence and professionalism. But as the nature of work has shifted dramatically, it’s worth asking: does suiting up still make sense in today’s evolving work landscape?

The Shift in Work Culture

In the past few years, particularly accelerated by the pandemic, the workplace has undergone seismic changes. Remote work, hybrid schedules, and more casual office environments have become the norm for many industries. With fewer face-to-face meetings and more virtual interactions, the emphasis on formal attire has given way to comfort and practicality. Today, tech CEOs deliver keynotes in hoodies, and boardroom meetings can just as easily take place in home offices or co-working spaces, often with people sporting jeans and T-shirts.

The casualization of work attire isn’t just a practical response to changing environments; it reflects deeper shifts in corporate culture. Many organizations now prioritize results and innovation over adherence to traditional dress codes. This flexibility allows employees to express themselves more freely and focus on their work, rather than adhering to rigid fashion expectations. The “suit” in this context feels almost like a relic from another era, a symbol of a past where image often outweighed substance.

The Enduring Power of the Suit

However, there’s no denying the psychological effect that a suit can have. The ritual of putting on a suit still signals formality, professionalism, and preparedness. It can change not only how others perceive you but how you perceive yourself. For some, dressing up boosts confidence, serves as a mental switch from casual to professional, and enhances a sense of readiness, especially for important meetings or presentations.

There’s also the argument for maintaining professionalism in virtual environments. Video calls have shrunk the gap between personal and professional spaces, but suiting up—at least from the waist up—still carries symbolic weight. In a world where distractions abound, dressing sharply might remind others that despite the casual setting, you mean business.

Does Suiting Up Still Matter?

So, does International Suit Up Day hold relevance in this era of remote work, casual offices, and blurred work-life boundaries? The answer may depend on your industry, your personal style, and how you see the connection between clothing and performance.

For those working in finance, law, or corporate leadership, the suit still carries weight, signaling respect and authority. On the other hand, tech and creative fields have embraced a more laid-back approach. For many, the freedom to choose between a suit or something more comfortable reflects the broader cultural shift away from rigid expectations and toward a more inclusive, adaptable workplace.

Suiting Up: A Choice, Not a Requirement

International Suit Up Day, then, might not be about having to wear a suit but about choosing to wear one. It could serve as a celebration of choice—whether you’re embracing the suit or opting for something more fitting to your daily routine. In a world where people are redefining how they work and where they work, clothing becomes another area for self-expression and individuality.

So, as we approach International Suit Up Day, ask yourself: does putting on a suit make you feel empowered? Does it help you shift into a professional mindset? Or does it feel like a vestige of a different time? Whatever your answer, the beauty of today’s workplace is that you can choose.

Together with Sergio, Gorka and Ruslan, with the guidance from Hilary, I participated in a Quantum Computing Panel at the recent Open Source in Finance Forum. The panel discussed the potential and challenges of quantum computing in financial services, emphasizing the need for strategic investment and collaboration.

Some of the highlights of the session are:

• 💻 Quantum computing is a new frontier, not yet fully understood.
• 🔍 It can solve specific problems more efficiently than traditional computing.
• 🔗 Collaboration and open standards are crucial for industry advancement.
• 🔐 Quantum key distribution offers solutions for cryptography challenges.
• 📈 Immediate advantages in optimization are on the horizon.
• 🌍 Organizations must invest now to stay competitive in the future.
• ⏳ Progress in quantum technology is accelerating faster than expected.

Some of the key insights I found important to mention:

• 🌟 Emerging Technology: Quantum computing represents a significant leap in computational power, capable of addressing complex problems traditional computers cannot efficiently solve. Its full potential is still unfolding, indicating a transformative future for industries like finance.
• 🤝 Collaboration is Key: Open-source collaboration and shared standards among companies are vital for developing quantum technologies efficiently. This collective approach can lead to faster advancements and broader adoption across sectors.
• 🔒 Cryptographic Implications: Quantum computers could potentially disrupt current encryption methods, necessitating a shift towards post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution to safeguard sensitive data.
• 📊 Optimization Opportunities: Quantum computing is expected to revolutionize optimization processes, providing significant improvements in efficiency for financial models and analyses, thus enhancing decision-making and profitability.
• 🛠️ Talent Development: Building expertise in quantum computing is essential. Organizations must invest in training programs and attract talent with interdisciplinary knowledge, merging quantum physics, algorithm development, and industry-specific applications.
• 🚀 Strategic Investment: Companies should begin investing in quantum technologies now, as long-term benefits will outweigh initial costs. Being proactive will ensure readiness when quantum computing becomes mainstream.
• ⏰ Accelerating Progress: The timeline for quantum advancements is shrinking, with significant progress made recently. Organizations need to adapt quickly to leverage these innovations effectively and maintain a competitive edge.

Please do enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed paneling in it 🙂

As multiple people joked around this – FDC3 been an integral part of the OSFF conferences since the inception of it – and this year wasn’t different either. Next to our official announcement and multiple sessions we participated in/on around FDC3, there been many other announcements and sessions around the topic, so let me try to collate some of these.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.“

This timeless quote, often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, captures the essence of how learning and innovation are fostered through active participation. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the realm of moonshot projects, hackathons, and cross-division collaborations that push the boundaries of what’s possible in organizations. In these environments, the act of involvement is not just beneficial—it’s essential for meaningful innovation.

Why Cross-Division Collaboration is Crucial for Moonshot Projects

Moonshot projects, by definition, aim for breakthrough innovation that can redefine industries or solve seemingly impossible challenges. These projects cannot thrive in silos, where ideas and expertise are limited to a single perspective. Cross-division collaboration brings diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences into one room, creating a fertile ground for innovative solutions.

However, the key to unlocking the full potential of such collaborations is to move beyond simply telling or teaching different teams about each other’s work. It’s not enough for one division to explain their challenges and for another to passively listen or offer advice. The real magic happens when everyone is actively involved in co-creating solutions, learning from each other’s expertise, and adapting their thinking in real-time.

When engineers, product designers, marketers, and business strategists come together, they don’t just exchange ideas—they build on each other’s contributions. The engineers might come up with a prototype, but it’s the marketers who can identify the customer need it will address, and the strategists who can see how to scale it. Every participant’s unique lens is essential, but true innovation emerges when these lenses overlap and create something new.

The Power of Hackathons: Learning Through Active Participation

Hackathons are a perfect manifestation of the “involve me and I learn” philosophy. They are fast-paced, problem-solving events where participants from various backgrounds work intensively to develop new ideas and solutions. Hackathons, by design, are immersive—they are about doing, not just talking or listening. This active involvement fosters deeper learning and collaboration.

During a hackathon, participants don’t just learn from a theoretical standpoint. They experience the challenges and opportunities firsthand. This kind of active involvement forces them to move beyond their comfort zones, learn new skills on the fly, and approach problems from multiple angles. The urgency of the event compels them to test ideas, iterate quickly, and innovate in ways they might never have thought possible in their day-to-day roles.

In cross-division hackathons, the involvement of participants from different areas of the company leads to the exchange of domain-specific knowledge. Engineers might learn about customer-facing challenges from sales teams, while business strategists might learn about the constraints and possibilities of new technologies from developers. The learning is deep, impactful, and—most importantly—actionable.

How Active Involvement Drives Innovation

Innovation is not a passive activity. It requires deep engagement, hands-on experimentation, and continuous iteration. By involving people from different divisions in moonshot projects and hackathons, organizations can foster a culture where everyone is learning from each other and contributing to collective progress.

Cross-division collaboration does more than just pool resources; it enables a deeper understanding of the organization’s broader goals. When individuals are involved in creating solutions, they gain insights into how different parts of the organization function. This level of involvement ensures that the innovation generated is not only technically feasible but also aligned with business objectives, customer needs, and market realities.

Furthermore, active involvement democratizes innovation. When people from all levels and divisions contribute, the ideas generated are not limited to a select few. Instead, innovation becomes a shared responsibility and opportunity across the organization.

Fostering a Culture of Continuous Involvement

For organizations aiming to foster innovation through moonshot projects or hackathons, the goal should be to create a culture of continuous involvement. Rather than seeing collaboration as a one-time event, it should become the default way of working. This means creating ongoing opportunities for cross-division collaboration, embedding hackathons and sprints into the workflow, and encouraging teams to take ownership of the innovations they help create.

Leaders can nurture this culture by actively involving employees in decision-making processes and encouraging them to work across traditional boundaries. By offering platforms for collaboration—whether physical hackathons, digital idea labs, or shared innovation challenges—they ensure that involvement isn’t just a momentary event but a sustained practice.

Conclusion

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” This quote serves as a powerful reminder that true innovation stems from involvement. In moonshot projects and hackathons, cross-division collaboration moves teams from passive knowledge transfer to active, immersive learning. Through involvement, individuals learn, grow, and create. More importantly, organizations that embrace this approach can unlock unprecedented innovation, solving complex challenges and opening new pathways to success.

For companies looking to achieve breakthrough innovation, the lesson is clear: invite more people to the table, get them involved, and watch how their participation leads to transformative results.

Imagine moving into a new house. Everything looks perfect at first glance, but as you settle in, you notice the small inconveniences—a squeaky door, a flickering light, a broken shelf. These are the things that the previous occupants learned to live with, adapting to the inconveniences rather than fixing them. Now, what would make an immediate impression? Fixing those broken shelves. This is the essence of what is called the Broken Shelf Approach—a leadership strategy that focuses on addressing the overlooked, yet impactful, issues that everyone has grown accustomed to ignoring.

The Genesis of the Broken Shelf Approach

This approach was beautifully exemplified by Nat Friedman when he became CEO of GitHub after Microsoft’s acquisition. Instead of laying out a multi-year strategic plan, he shared a giant list of over 100 customer complaints and issues. His plan? “Today, we’re going to pick one item on this list and fix it. Tomorrow, we’ll pick another one, and fix that. And the next day… until we’ve nailed 20+ of these.”

This shift in focus did three major things:

1. Shock Therapy: The team was used to thinking in quarters and years. Suddenly, the timeline shrank to “ship something today.” This change in mindset created urgency and a sense of accomplishment.
2. Learning from the Ground Up: By diving into the details, Friedman gained a deep understanding of where the problems were, which teams were effective, and where technical debt was highest. This ground-level insight is invaluable for any leader looking to understand their organization’s true state.
3. Building Trust through Action: Customers were worried about Microsoft’s acquisition of GitHub. Would they ruin it? Should they leave? Seeing the product improve immediately built faith that things would be okay, reassuring both customers and the community.

Why the Broken Shelf Approach Works

1. Immediate Impact and Morale Boost

Often, teams are bogged down by years of neglected issues—bugs, tech debt, and inefficiencies that everyone has learned to work around. These “broken shelves” can sap morale and productivity. By fixing them, you show the team that their daily struggles matter and that leadership is committed to making their lives better.

2. Creating a Culture of Action

When leadership focuses on long-term goals without addressing day-to-day pain points, it can create a disconnect between vision and reality. The Broken Shelf Approach shifts the focus to immediate, tangible action, setting a precedent that small wins are valuable and that progress doesn’t have to wait for the perfect plan.

3. Customer Confidence

For customers, seeing improvements happen quickly reassures them that their feedback is heard and acted upon. It’s a direct message: “We care about your experience, and we’re doing something about it.” This can be crucial during times of transition, like a company acquisition or leadership change.

How to Implement the Broken Shelf Approach

1. Identify the Broken Shelves

Start by gathering a list of known issues—customer complaints, internal frustrations, and technical debt. This list should be as comprehensive as possible, capturing the real pain points that affect your team and users.

2. Prioritize for Quick Wins

Not all issues are created equal. Prioritize those that can be fixed quickly but have a high impact on morale or customer satisfaction. The goal is to create momentum with visible results.

3. Create a Daily Focus

Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, pick one issue to fix each day or week. Share the progress with the team and celebrate these small victories. This keeps everyone aligned and motivated.

4. Communicate Transparently

Let your team and customers know what you’re doing and why. Transparency builds trust, and sharing your process helps everyone understand the value of what you’re addressing.

5. Iterate and Scale

As you resolve the immediate issues, use the insights gained to inform larger strategic decisions. Which areas need a deeper dive? Where are the systemic problems that require more than a quick fix? Use this approach as a stepping stone to broader organizational change.

Beyond the Broken Shelf

While the Broken Shelf Approach is powerful for creating immediate impact, it’s not a substitute for long-term strategy. Once you’ve built momentum and trust, it’s crucial to shift back to larger planning and goal setting. Use the insights and goodwill you’ve earned to align the team around a shared vision, now rooted in a deeper understanding of the day-to-day realities they face.

Conclusion

The Broken Shelf Approach is about more than just fixing small problems—it’s about building trust, driving action, and creating a culture that values progress over perfection. By addressing the issues that everyone else has learned to ignore, you demonstrate that you care about the details and that you’re committed to making things better, one step at a time.

In every organization, there are “broken shelves”—issues that are annoying, but not seen as critical enough to fix immediately. By focusing on these, you show that no problem is too small to matter. It’s a strategy that starts with action and ends with transformation. And sometimes, the best way to lead is to simply start fixing what’s broken.

Satya Nadella’s quote, “The tech industry does not respect tradition, it respects innovation,” perfectly encapsulates the mindset driving technological progress, particularly in open source finance. This idea resonated deeply at the Open Source in Finance Forum (OSFF) in New York, an event hosted by the Linux Foundation, where the focus was on transforming finance through open source innovation.

The tech industry, especially in finance, is marked by rapid changes and advancements, and Nadella’s words reflect a crucial reality: sticking to tradition alone is no longer viable in this fast-evolving space. The Open Source in Finance Forum highlighted this idea through its sessions, keynotes, and discussions, where financial institutions and technology leaders came together to explore the future of finance powered by open collaboration and open source.

Innovation as the Core of Open Source in Finance

At the OSFF, participants explored various aspects of open source technology, from blockchain and AI to quantum computing and fintech integrations. The event underscored how traditional financial systems must adapt to stay relevant in a world where innovation, driven by open source contributions, is becoming the lifeblood of the industry. Nadella’s quote resonated with the central theme that legacy systems, while foundational, must embrace modernization to compete with disruptive technologies.

In sessions discussing the role of quantum computing in finance, for instance, the emphasis was on how legacy systems can no longer cope with the speed and complexity required for future financial models. The attendees explored the potential for open source to accelerate quantum computing advancements, reflecting Nadella’s sentiment about innovation being the driving force in the industry.

Breaking Down Silos with Open Source

One of the key takeaways from the Open Source in Finance Forum was the need to break down silos—both technological and cultural—within financial institutions. Open source tools enable financial organizations to collaborate across borders and industries, creating shared solutions that challenge the conventional practices that have long governed the sector. The tech industry’s respect for innovation, not tradition, was mirrored in how financial institutions and fintech startups discussed their adoption of open source strategies, enabling faster iteration and cutting-edge developments.

For example, the FINOS (Fintech Open Source Foundation) projects showcased at the forum demonstrated how open source collaboration can revolutionize everything from data management to regulatory compliance, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in finance. These projects embody the spirit of Nadella’s quote, as they reject the notion that financial technology must be bound by the same rules and traditions that have shaped the industry for decades.

The Need for Continuous Reinvention

The Open Source in Finance Forum also emphasized the need for continuous reinvention within financial organizations to keep pace with the innovation cycle. With the rapid emergence of new technologies such as AI, blockchain, and decentralized finance, the message from OSFF speakers was clear: staying competitive requires an ongoing commitment to experimentation, collaboration, and openness to new ideas. Nadella’s assertion that the tech industry respects innovation rather than tradition reinforced the broader call to action heard throughout the forum: financial institutions must embrace open source and adapt or risk being left behind.

Conclusion

Satya Nadella’s quote encapsulates a vital truth for the financial technology industry. At the Open Source in Finance Forum in New York, it became evident that tradition alone can no longer sustain the sector. Instead, financial organizations must innovate, leveraging the power of open source collaboration to thrive in a world of constant technological change. As the sessions, keynotes, and discussions at OSFF underscored, innovation—not tradition—is what will propel the financial industry into the future.

OpenAI Dev Day is set to provide a glimpse into the next generation of AI applications and advancements. From data democratization to the acceleration of cancer research, this event will showcase cutting-edge developments and novel use cases in artificial intelligence. Here’s what attendees can look forward to.

Bridging the Gap Between Data and Accessibility

Joyce Gordon and Camden Clark are expected to introduce a transformative approach to handling data, focusing on making data more accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise. They will likely present AI-powered text-to-SQL solutions, enabling non-technical users to query databases using natural language. This promises to break down barriers between decision-makers and critical data, democratizing access to valuable insights.

AI for Low-Resource Languages: Expanding the Global Reach

Anna Dixon from Dimagi will address a significant challenge in AI—developing models for low-resource languages. In many parts of the world, these languages have little digital presence, limiting the effectiveness of existing AI models. Dixon’s presentation will likely explore fine-tuning GPT-4 to overcome these challenges, empowering marginalized communities and reducing global language inequities.

Accelerating Cancer Research with AI

Scott Ogden and Jan-Samuel Wagner from Genmab will share how AI is set to revolutionize cancer research. By automating document creation, they will show how AI can accelerate the time-consuming processes involved in research and development, allowing researchers to focus more on discovery. This will likely highlight how AI will hasten the pace of innovations in cancer treatments, potentially offering hope to patients and healthcare professionals in the near future.

Enhancing Developer Experiences with Generative UI

Jared Palmer of Vercel will demonstrate how generative AI is poised to transform developer workflows. His session will focus on how AI can create dynamic, intuitive user interfaces that will streamline how developers interact with their tools. This promises to usher in a new era for software development, making it faster and easier to create high-quality applications with AI-generated interfaces.

The Future of AI-Driven Societies

In one of the more speculative presentations, Robert Yang and Nico Christie from Altera will envision a future society composed entirely of AI agents. Their session will explore how these AI agents could collaborate and develop complex behaviors autonomously, offering a thought-provoking glimpse into how AI might simulate or even participate in human-like societies, pushing the boundaries of AI’s potential role.

Multimodal AI: Revolutionizing Travel Planning

Garrick Toubasi of Mindtrip will unveil how multimodal AI will reshape the future of travel planning. Combining text, images, and other inputs, the AI will provide seamless and personalized travel experiences, promising to make trip planning more interactive and tailored to individual needs. This presentation is expected to demonstrate how AI will revolutionize the travel industry in the coming years.

Benchmarking AI Agents with Realism

Karthik Narasimhan and Noah Shinn from Sierra will tackle the future of testing AI models by creating realistic benchmarks for AI agents. Their session will focus on how large language models will be evaluated to reflect real-world complexities. These benchmarks will play a crucial role in improving the practical capabilities of AI, ensuring models are robust enough for future deployment in complex environments.

Harnessing Data for Humanitarian Efforts

Caitlin Augustin and Mitali Ayyangar of DataKind will demonstrate the critical role AI will play in humanitarian crises. Their focus will be on using AI to activate data in real-time during emergencies. This rapid-response approach promises to enable teams to make faster, more informed decisions, potentially saving lives and resources in future humanitarian efforts.

Fine-Tuning AI for Developers

Alistair Pullen from Cosine will delve into how fine-tuning AI will optimize it specifically for software development tasks. This session will likely focus on how developers will benefit from AI’s ability to assist with coding and debugging, improving productivity and reducing errors. AI is set to become an indispensable tool for developers, streamlining workflows and enhancing software quality.

Exploring OpenAI’s o1 Initiative

Jason Wei and Hyung Won Chung from OpenAI Research will introduce the community to OpenAI’s upcoming project, o1. Although details are still emerging, the o1 initiative will likely offer new tools and frameworks designed to make AI more accessible for developers and organizations, providing an exciting new way to build with AI.

Social Justice Meets Prompt Engineering

Tilde Thurium from LaunchDarkly will explore the intersection of social justice and prompt engineering. This session will focus on how prompt engineering can be used to promote fairness and inclusivity in AI systems. As AI continues to shape the future, Thurium’s talk will highlight the importance of ensuring AI serves all communities fairly, emphasizing the ethical responsibilities developers will face in the years ahead.

The Road Ahead for AI

OpenAI Dev Day will serve as a window into the future of AI, showcasing how the technology will evolve from theory to practice across various industries. From making data more accessible and improving healthcare to enhancing developer experiences and addressing social justice, the event will underscore the growing influence of AI. As these technologies continue to advance, we can expect a future marked by increased accessibility, ethical responsibility, and a wider array of transformative applications that will reshape society.

Looking forward to seeing you at the FINOS Quantum Computing Panel, part of the https://zenith.finos.org Special Interest Group! Add our session to your schedule if interested 🙂 Together with Sergio Gago, Gorka Madariaga, and Ruslan Shaydulin, with the moderation of Hilary Carter, we would be chatting about post-post quantum cryptography – eg. where Quantum might be useful beside that we have to be afraid of it due to hackers?

This week, we bid farewell to the HoloLens, a device that once embodied the boundless potential of mixed reality. It wasn’t just a piece of hardware; it was a beacon of innovation, empowering developers like us to blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. With its pioneering spatial awareness and hand-tracking capabilities, HoloLens opened doors to experiences that felt like pure magic—transforming industries from healthcare to manufacturing, and education to entertainment.

For those of us who embraced the journey, it was more than a device. It was a canvas for creativity, a tool that let us dream bigger and build experiences that were once relegated to science fiction. We’ve navigated its quirks, pushed its boundaries, and, in doing so, redefined what’s possible.

As we look ahead to the next chapter of mixed reality, we carry with us the lessons and the inspiration that HoloLens gifted us. It may be the end of an era, but its spirit lives on in the innovations it sparked and the community it nurtured.

Rest in peace, HoloLens. You may be gone, but your impact will echo in every hologram we create.