Today we visited Microsoft and Thinkhouse. While these companies are different in many ways – size, products they sell, culture, AI – it was nice to see and compare these two companies after seeing them on the same day. 

To begin, we will look at AI. In a technology company like Microsoft, AI is a leading aspect of what they work on. They have implemented AI and are working on different products to sell to companies using this technology. It was great to learn about what AI is and how Microsoft is using it in their products. At Thinkhouse, a marketing company, they had a different approach to AI. They acknowledged that AI was important to implement, and that other companies that are their clients are looking for ways to implement AI in their campaigns with Thinkhouse. While this is true, they recognized that different people have different views on AI in marketing. Some think it is a great product, and others think it will destroy creativity. Overall, I found it interesting to see these two very different approaches to AI and how different industries are employing this technology.

Another aspect that we have learned a lot about is company culture. Culture is different at every organization. Overall, it is the result of the people who work there. While companies can try to encourage a good, hard-working culture in their employees through workshops and amenities, it overall comes down to the employees themselves, their personalities, and how they collaborate and work together. If the people do not have good personalities, and can not get along with their coworkers, it will result in a bad company culture. Looking at the companies that we have visited, the company that appealed to me the most was Microsoft. While they had similar amenities as Google, they seemed to have a kinder, more accepting culture than Google. While I enjoyed getting to see Google, they seemed to have a more competitive culture. In a company, I am looking for a place where I feel accepted and can ask questions and collaborate with my coworkers. I want to do my work, and get home, and I feel like Microsoft’s culture fits with that mindset.

Overall, I had a great time visiting and learning about Microsoft and Thinkhouse!