Some observations around recent conversations regarding AgTech..
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I’m sick of the articles on big data, crazy ROI claims, and intangible services. These things might be cool, but they’re not well understood by anyone. Nobody has big data all figured out. Nobody has a product offering that hasn’t changed price, features, and support team every year for as long its existed.. heck every few months something major changes. This is not the foundation the future of AgTech needs, its a competition to see who can sell the most over-hyped beta service. No producer is lined up to pay $xx per acre for something they can’t touch, and to boot, creates more work for them too.
The word data has been used 5,650 times so far.. We should be talking about making that into information, analytics, making more money, making our lives easier #DTNAgSummit
— Aaron Bobeck (@AaronBobeck) December 5, 2017
One interesting comment made was about data models.. they can’t tell you the why… Why was there a big bad spot on the gentleman’s yield map? It was from a lightning strike. That’s not something you want to average into a map that determines your seeding or fertilization rate.
I talked with another person very involved in Ag finance and I think his phrase “keep asking why” really hit the nail on the head. Few in AgTech can keep answering that question down to the point their service undoubtedly provides real tangible value.
80%+ of the questions I get from customers revolves around what I’d consider basic and fundamental AgTech. We need to do guidance and documentation perfect before going on to the more complex things like big data.
Want to know what one of the most valuable AgTech things I’ve seen lately? It isn’t a magical machine that senses soil with electric pluses.. It’s an aerial image of bare soil. This kind of stuff doesn’t get the re-tweets or stir conversation, but I see huge value in it. (slide credit in tweet to Dr. Fulton at Ohio State University)
Interesting looking at an image of dry, bare soil.. Especially when looking at soil sampling #FJAgTech17 pic.twitter.com/NF5vsJBeOK
— Aaron Bobeck (@AaronBobeck) December 13, 2017
What’s Missing in AgTech..
- “Make my life easier”
- “We still suck at the basics”
Two phrases I used as a panelist at AgTech Expo and in other recent conversations
I don’t want an inaccurate data model.. but I’d love a robotic pressure washer or planter greaser, sure, even if they aren’t perfect.
What am I working on? The “make my life easier” stuff.. Cheap and simple stuff… IP Cameras, basic logistics apps, bringing internet access to more places (and hopefully fiber in from the barn a half mile down the road soon)… And the next big thing, I’m always working on that too