Today we got to go to two very different companies, Microsoft and Thinkhouse. We took the Luas to get to Microsoft because it was slightly outside of the city. When we arrived on the campus we took a short walk over to their building. The architecture in this building was pretty cool, and it even had a digital waterfall. I immediately noticed that this building was much more open on the inside. We walked around the building and then sat in a room and talked to the representatives. I really liked listening to them because they were straightforward and real. I could also see that they were really passionate about what they do and the company. They talked about how they have lives outside of work, and Microsoft supports that. They have created a workplace with amenities to help them succeed but they do not want them to be at the office all day.

After this visit we rode back into the city, got lunch, and met up at Thinkhouse. From the moment we walked in, I liked the vibe in there. I could tell it wasn’t just another marketing agency. We got the chance to talk to 4 different people with very different positions. We learned about client services, film production, and social media. They talked about their desire to make companies relevant and how they only work with companies that align with their values. They do some pretty bold, different work in terms of marketing. They think out of the box and try to create campaigns that people will remember and that will accomplish set objectives. I was surprised to find out they only have 50 employees for all the work they do.

After looking at these two companies and many others, I am able to compare their culture. Company culture is abstract and made up of many parts, but overall it is the shared values, attitudes, and behaviors in a company. It is how people treat one another, how they carry themselves, and how the company supports its employees. In the presentation, we can tell what the culture is like based on the attitudes of the representatives, how they talk about the company and their position, and what ideas the company pushes on its employees. Out of all the company cultures we have experienced, I really enjoyed Microsoft. Like I said before, the people we talked to were genuine, passionate, and just interesting people. This is a result on the culture at Microsoft and the type of people they bring on. Microsoft also has a much different approach than Google. They have amenities, but not so many that you would never have to leave the office.

Another important discussion topic that came up in all the visits was the use of AI. It is such a new and relevant aspect of business and technology, and each company will take a different approach. Microsoft and Thinkhouse are very different companies so it is interesting to look at their perspectives. Microsoft, as a tech company, is actually creating a new app on Microsoft 365 called Copilot. This is a form of AI that will eliminate redundant tasks and make work easier. They talked about how they are excited for AI, but they are also being responsible with it. On the other hand, Thinkhouse, as a smaller company, believes that they have to understand AI because it is the future but it is not necessarily having a big role in their company. They are using it as a tool, not to do their jobs. They have developed an AI team that is doing research and making decisions about how to use it, and within this team there are people with different beliefs. Overall I think both companies are making good decisions for themselves. The consensus seems to be that AI is going to change jobs, but it is not going to replace them. It is all about learning how to use it to your advantage in a responsible way.