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Data Bytes. Notes from the studio.

Articles, interviews, and podcast episodes from the Happy Dog team — what we’ve learned about data, software, and the businesses that run on both.

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ArticleMarch 4, 2023

ChatGPT: Should You be Scared of this AI Tool? - An Exploration of its Implications in Today's Digital Landscape

One part of my work routine, every week I dedicate time to research. One morning, freshly caffeinated from tea and rearing to go, I was caught off guard. I’ll never forget that moment. While doing research, I stumbled across a video of someone reviewing this thing called ChatGPT . He was chatting with an AI language model, but this seemed very different. He tried to "stump" it – and while he did succeed at that, it also far exceeded his (and my) expectations. I could see the awe and amazement on his face as he machine generated text that sounded like it was written by a human. The discernment between 'was this a machine or a person' was blurry at the least. It was impressive to see how far technology had come, but at the same time, it made me wonder about the implications of such advanced AI. Could machines like ChatGPT replace human intelligence? It was a question that lingered in my mind as I observed others using the technology.

Ryan

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ArticleMay 13, 2021

The secret to save over 50% on mobile apps development year after year

When it comes to your business, you want a lot. You’re not sure if you have an appropriate budget - especially in the land of mobile apps. Mobile app development and the pricing around it is structured like the wild, wild west. Look no further, we have a solution that can cut your mobile app development costs _by more than half_!

RyanRead

PodcastApril 14, 2021

Chatting with Steve Fisher - The human side of data

Data and software are great, but what about the human side of things? Our most recent podcast episode features Steve Fisher of Retail Zipline. We will discuss how you have to get to the human aspect of business relations and merge that information with data and software for business success.

RyanRead

PodcastMarch 25, 2021

A conversation with Andy Miller - When you don't need a database

Continuing the streak of podcast resources, we will be speaking with a co-founder of Joomla and the creator of Grav, Andy Miller. We will discuss how using a fast, flexible and database-free setup can save the day with any business.

RyanRead

PodcastFebruary 26, 2021

The mix of data, software and marketing with Ian Lurie

In another Happy Dog Sound Bytes podcast episode, we will be speaking with Ian Lurie. We will discuss how merging data, software, critical thinking and marketing can open the floodgates for success. Ian is a popular, well liked, well spoken, personable nerd. He started a very successful company, Portent, a digital marketing agency in Seattle. Let's dive in and see what Ian has to say.

RyanRead

PodcastJanuary 7, 2021

Using Google Cloud for data success

On today's episode, we will be speaking with John Dingler of Shadow Soft about how using GCloud can bring data success for any business. John is a savvy industry vet with a wealth of knowledge regarding cloud infrastructure. We used this opportunity to tie in his knowledge with practical business use cases.

RyanRead

ArticleJanuary 7, 2021

How leveraging AI can make your business data work for you

It's another day, and you're ready to take on work like a champion. This positive attitude guides you all the way to your desk. And then, it hits you. You see how much you really have on your plate. Sometimes you think, “people don’t know how much I have to handle these days”. You have to improve the bottom line, reduce workflow inefficiencies and improve reporting. On top of that, you have data in a few spots, but don’t know how to effectively glean the information you need from it. Enter artificial intelligence (AI).

RyanRead

ArticleJanuary 4, 2021

Where to discover the best insights from today's data

Your business is either growing or shrinking. But, something that is always growing is your data. Every day, your business collects more data, whether you like it or not. Figuring out an action plan from your data is truly where the rubber meets the pavement. Are you ready to find out the insights you need from your data? It’s time to gain insight from your data.

RyanRead

ArticleJuly 1, 2018

Should You Invest In A Progressive Web App?

Mobile-first indexing is here and the need to optimize for mobile is paramount for businesses and advertisers of all sizes. 52.2 percent of all website traffic worldwide was generated from mobile phones and mobile accounts for half of all global web pages served. In Asia alone, mobile accounts for 65.1 percent of all web traffic. When people search for something nearby on their smartphone, it just so happens that 28% of them end up making a purchase. And these numbers are only going to rise.

DarrenRead

ArticleDecember 27, 2016

What Is RESTful API & Why Should I Care?

Picture this. It’s Monday. You wake up and go about your morning routine. Your coffee machine chugs and whirrs and spits out "work fuel". You take a sip. As your mouth burns, you realize it is too hot but still smells marvelous. You scurry out of your house with your flaming-hot coffee. Rushing into the office, you hope to beat everyone in. You get settled into your desk. You are ready to take on the world. You are ready for any kind of challenge. All of a sudden, while tackling your inbox, you see an email. It’s titled “I wish we could”. Intrigued, you open it. And there it hits you. You have a challenge and no idea on how to conquer it.

RyanRead

ArticleMarch 23, 2015

Why did we choose the name ‘Happy Dog’?

Ever wonder about the story behind our name, Happy Dog? It has a bark-tastic history!🐾 Originally, we were christened "Happy Dog Web Productions." After numerous years as a freelance wanderer, 2009 was my year of commitment. But here's the hitch: what do you name your dream? Seeking something meaningful and forward-looking, I embarked on a brainstorming spree. Pen in hand, I scribbled potential names, aiming to capture the essence of the vision. There were many goofy names, like "Cyberplex", "Brainwaves", and "Boog Bytes". In the end, we had an interesting list of potential names.

RyanRead

ArticleJanuary 15, 2015

Why Invest In Custom Website Design?

Your company is one of a kind—and your website should be, too. First impressions are crucial and if your website is outdated, stale or hard to navigate, customers will click elsewhere. Custom website design can take your business to a new level. Now, we must acknowledge that template- or theme-based websites have come a long way and there are tons of options now. They’re economical and generally pretty easy to set up. For some, this is definitely the way to go, but for others, custom web design is necessary.

RyanRead

ArticleDecember 2, 2014

How to avoid a deceptive digital agency

One huge tip I can give right off the bat is to look out for the smoke and mirrors. "Smoke and mirrors" is a metaphor for fraudulent, deceptive, or description without substance. The source of the name originates from magicians' illusions, where they make objects appear or disappear by extending or retracting mirrors surrounded by a burst of smoke intended to distract you. In short, "smoke and mirrors" may refer to any sort of presentation that is deceptive. Usually it's someone or some agency tricking you into thinking they're better than they actually are.

RyanRead

ArticleAugust 16, 2013

An Interview With Engineer-Turned-Businessman Shaz Khan

Today’s guest is Shaz Khan. At 28 years old, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Project Frontburnr and a member of the Global Shapers arm of the World Economic Forum. He has worked at Facebook, designed a smartwatch, had work shown in Popular Science magazine, sold patents, and has facilitated a handful of record and license deals in the music industry. And helps out with pizza shops. Oh, I probably left out 20 other things. In case you didn’t notice, he’s kind of a young superman.

RyanRead

ArticleJuly 16, 2013

How to Choose the Right Digital Agency

Balancing the heavy boatload of options for web or software development can be incredibly tiring. There are a whole lot of companies to choose from. It seems like everyone claims to have the ability to develop and customize anything digital for you. From fancy national companies with hundreds of designers to your teenage next-door-neighbor, the options can be tough to wade through. So what should one do?

RyanRead

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Where the writing comes from.

What we do with all thisAI & agentic systems, product engineering, and strategy — the writing above comes from that work.The work itselfXcel Energy, Grafe, MBE — real systems for real businesses, told the way they actually went.

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