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Gerhard Pilcher
CEO at Elder Research and Author
Gerhard Pilcher is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Elder Research, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in data science and predictive analytics. He has held this position since June 2016, succeeding Dr. John Elder, who transitioned to the role of Chairman of the Board at that time.14 Under Pilcher's leadership, Elder Research has continued to expand its capabilities and services in the field of analytics, serving clients across various sectors both domestically and internationally.
Professional Background
Before becoming CEO, Pilcher served as Vice President and Senior Scientist at Elder Research from 2011 to 2016. His extensive background includes roles in technology and engineering, such as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Pulse Communications and Director of R&D Operations at Bell Northern Research.23 He has also been involved in academia as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University and currently teaches data strategy at the University of California, Irvine.2
Contributions and Expertise
Pilcher is recognized for his expertise in predictive analytics, machine learning, and data mining. He co-authored the book "Mining Your Own Business," which serves as a guide for executives on leveraging organizational data for better decision-making. The book is frequently used as a textbook in graduate-level courses.25
In addition to his role at Elder Research, he is actively involved on several university advisory boards and serves as Chairman for three start-up companies he co-founded.2 His work has earned him recognition, including being inducted into the NC State Computer Science Department’s "Hall of Fame" in 2017.2
Personal Interests
Outside of his professional endeavors, Gerhard Pilcher enjoys spending time with his family, engaging in outdoor activities, woodworking, and running.2
Highlights
AI isn’t new. 55 years ago, a computer helped steer Apollo 11 to the moon. But technologists are STILL forgetting to ask: “Is AI being used for the right purpose?” Case in point: generative AI. Gen AI is being treated like everything is a nail it can hammer, but it’s best suited for generating or summarizing unstructured content (natural language and images) using the vast information it was trained on—without any knowledge of the correct answer to any question. This means AI is less suited to applications that require a precise and consistent answer. That may change in the future. While I applaud the exploration of Gen AI, there are other ways AI can unlock great value: 1️⃣ Prediction This can be uncomfortable for us because it’s hard to think a computer can beat human intuition, but it’s where AI can have the most value. We tend to apply different standards to the same decisions, from hour to hour and day to day, introducing a lot more uncertainty than a computer. AI’s consistency and ability to process vast data make it more adept at prediction, reducing uncertainty and enhancing decision-making. In fact, we can measure the uncertainty in a mathematical model but must rely on a person’s best guess of uncertainty for a human forecast, creating even more uncertainty. 2️⃣ Process Automation It’s also hard to let machines take some of our tasks because we naturally resist change. Maybe because we think our way is best or we’re afraid the machine will remove the need for us. We’re also typically more comfortable asking machines to do things the same way we’ve done them. But in most cases, we must reimagine the process to optimize the potential of the person and the machine. TRIGGER WARNING: I’ve lost count of the times in my career I’ve been pressured by people saying I was wasting time by taking a step back to more fully consider the process instead of accepting the status quo. For whatever reason, this work isn’t considered progress. Without fail, the investment of time up front created higher velocity and more predictable results. Don’t think this is just an old guy stuck in a waterfall world; this is critical regardless of how you approach development. I love this scene from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The film premiered in 1968, but it illustrates what we should be considering today: “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” says HAL, the AI. HAL was being snarky because Dave planned to shut HAL down. Ironically, we’ve experienced snarky AI in the modern chatbots, like ChatGPT, five decades later. We need to stop and think about what we are asking AI to do. And we need to use discernment about the claims made by all the shiny AI tools. Some have little to nothing under the hood. Look closely. The real value of AI is in how much it helps humans. Does it address business problems and fit into processes? When AI addresses those things, it frees us to use our creative brains the way they were designed.
Are we building artificial trust in artificial intelligence? Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are helping us with many things:
- Greater productivity at work ➡️ More time with family
- Quicker answers to challenging problems ➡️ Faster and better decisions Generative AI models are continually being trained … and perhaps we’re slowly training ourselves to trust them. Here’s why we should be circumspect:
- Generative AI can generate truthful-sounding nonsense. These tools are only as knowledgeable as the information they’re trained on. For example, ChatGPT 3.5 is trained on data through 2021. That training is unsupervised, which means it hasn’t been taught the “right” or “best” answer to questions, whether or not they’ve been asked before.
- Generative AI can interpret context and sentiment, but it can’t speak for everyone. ChatGPT 3.0 was trained on 160,000 dialogues between two human participants and several other conversational datasets. But those dialogues and datasets can’t accurately represent the more than 8 billion people in the world.
- Generative AI can flip its “values” and “personality” instantly. When new training data is introduced, the algorithms behind gen AI tools adapt to the new information. But that information might lack context, be factually incorrect, or be manipulated to push one viewpoint over another. We’re naturally less likely to question information from ChatGPT, Dall-E, and other large language models. Why? Because that information comes from mysteriously intelligent algorithms that must somehow be smarter than us.
And because the algorithm responds in a human way, kind in most cases, we build trust with it. Even though it has no real human character. So where does that leave us? Does it mean we need to abandon the gen AI ship and swim to safer shores? No. But it does mean we should be vigilant and discerning about how we use AI in our professional and personal lives. What safeguards do you have in place around how you use generative AI? #GenerativeAI #GenAI #ResponsibleAI
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.