Karl Robinson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Logicata, an AWS Advanced Partner specialising in cloud consulting and managed services. With 20+ years of experience and a track record of building two successful hosting and cloud companies, Karl helps software businesses build and run application infrastructure on AWS. He is an AWS Certified professional, Community Builder, and User Group Leader, actively contributing to the AWS ecosystem.
Which talk/panel did you speak at?
Modern Cloud Challenges: Building for Scale, Security, and Sustainability
Can you share a bit about your background?
I have worked in cloud since before it was called cloud, mainly in commercial positions, having founded, grown and exited tech companies. Those companies have all specialised in helping small and medium businesses to harness enterprise scale technology infrastructure to help them compete and grow.
What inspired you to speak at EVOLVE [25]?
I was excited to speak at the inaugural Evolve 25 conference, highlighting Brighton as a tech innovation hub. Although not from Brighton, I’ve lived here since 1998 and spent most of my career working with and networking with both local and international businesses. Brighton has always had an innovative technical edge, and I am proud to be a part of this community.
What was the key message or idea you most wanted the audience to take away from your talk?
The key message is that cloud is about People, Process and Technology, not just technology. If you don’t have the right people ‘on the bus’, cloud transformation projects will more than likely fail. Whether choosing to reskill, hire or partner with external service providers, having the right skills is critical to the success of Cloud Transformation.
Were there any audience reactions or questions that really stood out to you?
No
How does the topic you spoke about connect to your current work or passion projects?
Cloud Transformation is at the heart of what my business Logicata delivers a day to day basis. Whether helping businesses migrate to AWS, building new infrastructures on AWS or modernising existing infrastructure, I really enjoy helping other businesses to maximise their potential by leveraging the latest AWS cloud technologies.
What emerging trends or challenges in tech (or your field) are you most excited about right now?
Without doubt the biggest trend in tech right now is AI. In many cases adoption is being ‘forced’ as vendors roll out AI features to their offerings, search is becoming more AI driven, as are contact centres etc – so most of us are using AI daily whether we chose to or not. I’m excited to see where this next wave of technology evolution will take us, and what possibilities there are for me and Logicata to help other businesses capitalise on this revolution.
What advice would you give to someone looking to make an impact in your area of expertise?
Know what you don’t know. I speak to so many people who try to hold conversations about things they have little to no knowledge of. It’s OK not to know everything! Know what you don’t know, and listen to others that do know – only then will you learn something.
How do you see the future evolving in your industry over the next few years?
Over the coming years may more tasks will become automated. One way of looking at this is ‘doom, gloom, jobs will cease to exist’. Another way of looking at it is that the mundane low value tasks can be taken away from people, freeing them up to focus on more innovation – that’s exciting.
What was your favourite part of the EVOLVE experience?
Seeing the tech community come together and rally around this inaugural conference to make it a great success!
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects, initiatives, or goals you’re excited to share?
Continued growth of Logicata – a transformation of our go to market as a foundation for the next phase of our growth.
What’s one book, podcast, or resource that’s inspired you recently?
I could plug my own podcast here, but that would be too self serving (hint – its on my Linktree!). I’ve been inspired by many books – some rather niche, some generic. One of the better business books I’ve read is ‘They Ask, You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan, which is all about publicly sharing knowledge to generate inbound business enquiries. That’s counter intuitive to some – if you think that way then it is well worth a read.
How can people connect with you or follow your work after the event?
Check out my Linktree which has all of my socials and Logicata content channels: https://linktr.ee/karl.robinson