Iwo Szapar

Hybrid Work Expert

Remote-First.Institute

We are dedicated to exploring the vast potential of AI as Saudi Arabia embrace Vision 2030, fostering a community where ideas flourish and connections are made. Our mission is to empower each member through insightful discussions, expert-led workshops, and collaborative projects. Whether you're a seasoned AI developer, a business leader seeking to harness AI's power, or simply AI-curious, we offer a platform to learn, share, and grow.

Founder @ Saudi AI Leadership Forum

We are a not-for-profit organization on a mission to create a space with open-source and expertise knowledge about the remote-first work approach provided by the world’s leading future of work experts.

We launched the Remote-First Institute to:
- Counteract the global "back to the office" movement.
- Create Global Standards for companies on remote-first processes.
- Produce high-quality events, articles, reports, and analyses.
- Cultivate a global community for remote-first experts.

Co-founder & Head of Remote

Reworked

Contributing Writer

Remote-how

We help companies make remote & hybrid work, work.
🤓 Remote-how Marketplace - the world’s leading remote & hybrid work experts marketplace. Work on your consulting and advisory projects with 200+ pre-vetted practitioners from top distributed companies. 
🚀 Remote-how Campus - a community where leaders of hybrid teams come to connect, learn and grow together with access to live leadership development programs, mentoring services, and more.

CEO & Co-founder

Microsoft

I hosted a series of open webinars and invite-only workshops about hybrid work best practices for the Microsoft community and clients.

I helped build the first in the company's history "Hybrid Work Playbook".

Remote Work Advisor

Walmart

I worked with the HR team on Walmart's CEO's remote work strategy proposal.

www.iwoszapar.com

👉 A guide to staying productive, avoiding burnout, and managing distributed teams is drawn from countless hours of collaboration with some of the top experts in the field, including Netflix, GitLab, Mural, Prezi, and Doist.

Book Author "Remote Work Is The Way"

Shopgate Inc

Senior Director of Sales Operations, North America

VP of Research and Sales Strategy, Europe

General Manager Poland

Business Development Manager Poland

MonkeyData

Advisor

Ponpon.pl

Co-founder

🚀 Remote-First Activist | Top 50 Remote Influencer | Since 2017, shaping the future of remote-first world

Hey, it's Iwo Szapar—your go-to expert for all “future of work related”.✌️

My focus: distributed work, AI, villages for slowmads. 🚀 

Founded Remote-how in 2017 and co-piloted the Remote-First Institute. I've made waves by helping over 3,000 companies, ranging from fast-growing startups to industry giants like Walmart, ING Bank, and Microsoft. 

I'm the author of "Remote Work Is The Way,".

I have called 15 countries my home, and I'm all about dogs and surfing! 🏄🐶

🚀Remote Work Advocate & Co-founder

Remote-how helps companies make remote & hybrid work, work. Since 2017. 

🤓 Remote-how Marketplace - the world’s leading remote & hybrid work experts marketplace. Work on your consulting and advisory projects with 200+ pre-vetted practitioners from top distributed companies. 

🚀 Remote-how Campus - a community where leaders of hybrid teams come to connect, learn and grow together with access to live leadership development programs, mentoring services, and more.

AAAA!!! I am honored to be included (third year in a row 🙈) as one of the top 50 experts under the Remote Innovator Category in this year’s #RemoteInfluencerReport, published by Remote! 🎉

The report brings together 150 global experts in the world of remote work - from the pioneers who have been leading the remote movement for years, to individuals who are enabling the expansion of remote capabilities across borders, as well as the creators of the tools and frameworks required to make remote work a reality.

This year, I am joined by a lot of #remote friends <3 kudos to all of you!!! Annie Dean Ginger Dhaliwal Nick Bloom Kristi DePaul ✨Mine (Kocadag) Dedekoca Laïla von Alvensleben Lavinia Yosub Chase Warrington Nienke Nina Keizer Alex Hernandez Darren Murph Danielle Farage Nadia Harris Sophie Wade Daphnée Laforest Emmanuel Guisset Rob Sadow Kaleem Clarkson Shelby Wolpa Wayne Turmel Lona Alia Lisette Sutherland Jakob Knutzen Wade Foster Sara Sutton Darcy Marie Mayfield Kate Lister Tsedal Neeley John Riordan  who were also included on this year’s report.

You can download the report here: https://hubs.la/Q02t4rlt0

I engage with about 7 AI-Assistants daily, and build 10-15 prototypes per week. How do you use #AI in your day-to-day tasks? 

If the answer is "beyond ChatGPT, not much..." How can you start?

Pause before your next task: Could building an AI-Assistant now save you countless hours later?"

Let that question sink in for a moment. In a landscape where we're constantly juggling tasks, this thought has fundamentally changed my approach to work and productivity. 

My AI-Assistants serve specific functions (or what I call "job to be done):

- Keep my #productivity high ("Productivity Partner")
- Be my sparring partner for #strategy ("Growth Partner")
- Help with different mini-tasks like data analysis, reports, content creation etc.

On top of that, I build a bunch of AI-Assistants prototypes, each an experiment in pushing the bounds of efficiency and creativity.

The transformative question, "Could I build an AI assistant to handle this?" has not just optimized the present but also revolutionized my workflow's future. Tasks that usually took days now unfold in hours, painting a vivid picture of what’s possible when we harness AI's potential.

How about you - are you already building your own AI-Assistants to work smarter, not harder?

[Photo: London, Nov 2022 - my book signing event, a few days before OpenAI unleashed it's first version of ChatGPT to the mass market...]

#aicopilot #aissistant

AM I SHOCKED? 🤯  "In-person workers feel less connected to their workplace culture vs. remote and hybrid colleagues" - new data coming from Gallup.

No, I am not shocked...

Are you?

Gordon Mullan (Remote Work and Virtual Presenting Coach)

Last week, I found myself in an extraordinary paradox. As a fervent advocate for the flexibility and freedom of #distributedwork #asyncfirst, I embarked on a marathon I never anticipated: a non-stop, 9.5-hour Zoom call. 

Yes, you read that right. For someone who avoids too many/too long meetings, it was quite a challenge! But, here's the twist—it was utterly worth it.

In under 60 minutes, we achieved something remarkable: 77 consultants were transformed into AI-Assistants innovators. The energy, the breakthroughs, and the sheer potential unveiled were electrifying. 🚀 

But why did I, a remote work proponent, subject myself to this marathon?

❤️️ Because the #AI future called. Attendees, full of creativity and determination, shared insights that felt like a glimpse into tomorrow. "This is an eye to the future," one noted, their excitement palpable. Another couldn't contain their enthusiasm, "I can't stop - I will do it for the whole day." It was clear; we were not just learning; we were evolving.

I hope you relished this interactive odyssey as much as I did.

-> Have suggestions for our next adventure? Drop them below. #openfeedback

A big thank you to everyone who joined this transformative journey. The realm of AI is vast, and yes, we're stepping into it again today.

🤖 Reflecting on our "How to Become an AI-Enabled Consultant" (AI-Hackathon vol. 3

I'd say it was a solid 7.5/10. Yet, as with every expedition, there's always new territory to chart. For our next foray, we're considering more facilitators to inject additional human energy into our quest—what are your thoughts?

👉 Through this odyssey:
- 4,391 messages were exchanged
- 77 consultants became pioneers
- 56 innovative AI Assistants were born

each a beacon of possibilities in consulting, solopreneurship, and beyond.

🔥🔥🔥 What's next? 

For those who share this thirst for the cutting edge, we’re at the brink of another leap—the next AI-Sprint ("Build a Market-Ready AI-Assistant in 5 days") starts on April 15th. Only 5 spots remain. 

Will you be one of the bold? Comment below.

#aiassistants #aiconsulting #aioperations

To all my Saudi friends 🇸🇦,

Last month we co-hosted our first #AI Hackathon for the Adhlal community, and... it blew our minds!!! 

The variety of ideas on blending AI with art and design not only inspired but made me profoundly optimistic about the future of #designcommunity in the Kingdom. ❤️️ A massive thank you to HRH Princess Nourah AlFaisal and Jeroen Frumau, whose support has been pivotal. 

Building on that momentum, I’m thrilled to invite you to an upcoming event that promises to be just as enlightening and perhaps even more exciting. On the evening of April 25th, join us at FAIIIDA Studio for Adhlal's next community gathering, in collaboration with FAIIIDA. Doors open at 6 PM!

🧠 What’s on the Agenda?

After an engaging panel discussion where thoughts on tech in design will flow freely (no jargon, just juice!), you’ll have the chance to dive deeper:
-> Harness AI in Design: With Rakan Alshehri, understand how AI tools can enhance your creative workflows. (good luck my friend 👏)
-> Explore AR/VR: See through the lens of Abdulaziz A. Alobaid how these technologies are revolutionizing our design processes.
-> Navigate Web3: Tanja Ludwig will demystify how blockchain can empower and reshape our design community.

I encourage all my friends and connections in the Saudi network to register here and secure your spot. This event isn’t just about observing; it’s about engaging, sharing, and contributing to the discussions that shape #vision2030.

Link to tickets in comments 👇

#AI #desgincommunity

HOT OFF THE PRESS 🔥 The AI Index Report 2024 by Stanford has just landed, and it’s packed with golden nuggets you won’t want to miss! 🚀

This annual report offers critical insights into the economic implications of AI, its effects on the labor market, and corporate engagement. 

I'm still in the process of reviewing the hundreds of pages, but here are my initial top takeaways for you:

1/ AI Adoption in Organizations (55% in 2023): The McKinsey report disclosed that 55% of organizations used AI in at least one business unit or function in 2023, up from 50% in 2022.

2/ AI Productivity Enhancement (26% to 73% Faster Task Completion): AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot have enabled users to complete tasks 26% to 73% faster than those without AI access, highlighting substantial improvements in work efficiency.

3/ GPT-4 Enhances Productivity in Consulting (Up to 40% Quality Improvement): Access to GPT-4 in consulting showed an increase in productivity by 12.2%, speed by 25.1%, and quality by 40.0%, compared to a control group without AI.

4/ Cost Reduction by 42%: A McKinsey survey revealed that 42% of organizations report cost reductions from implementing AI.

5/ Revenue Increase from AI by 59%: A McKinsey survey also showed that 59% revenue increase from implementing AI,

6/ Global Productivity Growth Projection by AI: A 2023 investment report by Goldman Sachs forecasts that AI could catalyze productivity growth worldwide, ranging between 1.0% and 1.5% over ten-year periods.

7/ Job Postings Demanding AI Skills (US Leading): The United States (1.6%) led in the percentage of job postings requiring AI skills in 2023, evidencing a significant demand for AI expertise in the labor market.

8/ AI Labor Demand in the US (1.6% of All Job Postings): AI-related job postings accounted for 1.6% of all job postings in the United States in 2023, marking a decrease from 2.0% in 2022.

9/ Generative AI Skills Surge (15,410 Job Postings): There was a significant increase in the number of U.S. job postings specifically citing generative AI skills in 2023, totaling 15,410 positions.

10/ Fortune 500 AI Discussions (80% Mention Rate in 2023): AI was mentioned in 394 earnings calls in 2023, corresponding to nearly 80% of all Fortune 500 companies, with the most frequently discussed theme being generative AI (19.7% of all earnings calls).

Which one is most shocking to you? What do you make of this? 

Let's chat - comment below 👇 

#aiconsulting #artificialintelligence

How do you feel about this? 

The Chief Remote Work Officer idea didn't really take off, so maybe #AI would push companies to find someone to own such huge transformation project?

Once again Iwo and the Remote-how, Inc. team have crushed it...

Not only they hosted an incredible AI-Hackathon with a number of global specialists, but they have also been instrumental in generating ideas and opportunities (at scale x10!).

What I personally got out of the session yesterday:

🪄 Insightful AI and human-guided experience with loads of learning curves in merely 90 min!
🪄 Got to interact with quite interesting experts, hear their opinion, and connect afterward to continue the energy exchange
🪄 Confidence and eagerness to pursue my ongoing journey with AI where we upskill together 🦾

The upcoming AI sprint with Iwo is what we ALL need (not just consultants, coaches, and entrepreneurs)! 
Get in touch with the team for more info on how to sign up

An unofficial #4dayworkweek transition is already in progress ❤️️

When do you think we are going to adopt it... officially?

I learned about mine just recently... How about you?

#productivityscore

Here are my predictions:
- less than 50% know what an #aihackathon is.
- 5% have actually attended one...

Prove me wrong! 😄

🚀 Work Smarter with AI | Remote-First Activist | Top 50 Remote Work Influencer

Remote Talent Advisor 🔷 Lecturer 🔷 Fractional Talent Lead 🔷 Assoc. CIPD

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