Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Brief: 🎪 European IBM i events set for summer showcase.
AI: 📄IBM reveals CEOs need bold AI moves in 2025.
Development: 📚 cURL Tutorial. 🔄 Visual Studio Code brings new RPG conversion tools.
Hiring: 👥 Top talent shows clear patterns of success. 🦸‍♂️ RPG developers evolve into modern tech superheroes.
Trends: 🔒 OpenAI’s Orb Sparks Privacy Debate.

IBM i Brief

🎪 European IBM i events set for summer showcase

Major IBM i gatherings are approaching in Europe, with COMMON Europe leading in Gothenburg followed by i-POWER UK in Northampton. The 3.5-day COMMON event features workshops, expert sessions, and keynotes from IBM i CTO Steve Will and other leaders. i-POWER UK follows with a concentrated two-day program focusing on AI, cloud deployment, and modernization strategies.

Things to know:

WCA = Watson Code Assistant
IBM’s Watson Code Assistant for i launches with VS Code integration, offering code explanations initially and planning future code generation capabilities. Important: There are no current plans for RDi support.
When will this be available? Beta release for partners will be July 2025

AI

📄IBM reveals CEOs need bold AI moves in 2025

A comprehensive study by IBM’s Institute for Business Value involving 2,000 CEOs shows organizations must embrace risk to stay competitive, with 64% acknowledging the need for increased risk-taking.

The study outlines five key mind shifts, emphasizing AI integration, data architecture importance (68% priority), and the need to balance innovation with ROI, as only 25% of AI initiatives meet expected returns.

Development

📚 cURL Tutorial

cURL is a command-line tool for transferring data via URLs, offering powerful capabilities for downloading files, making API requests, and automating web interactions. See the short tutorial here.

🔄 Visual Studio Code brings new RPG conversion tools

Three VS Code extensions are transforming IBM i code modernization:

RPGLE FREE
Cozzi RPG Converter
ARCAD RPG

The free RPGLE FREE offers basic conversion features, while Cozzi’s new solution promises enhanced accuracy. ARCAD RPG leads with enterprise features but comes at a premium price point, targeting large-scale modernization projects. Learn more here. 😉

Hiring

👥 Top talent shows clear patterns of success

The above, could easily say:

IBM i top talent shows clear patterns of success.

Top talent transcends all job functions and technical stacks.

Bottom Line:

Finding the right fit is not easy.
Finding the right opportunity is not easy.

The Uniqueness of the IBM i.

Organizations leveraging the IBM i platform as their operational backbone face a distinctive challenge when it comes to finding and retaining talent.

The need to find talent that understands the intricacies of the IBM i platform, and how it will be used in the future is essential.

Will the IBM i be used in exactly the same way as it has or is being used today in the future?

Yes and No.

📝 How to Find Top IBM i Talent

Here’s a blueprint for finding top talent, drawing from insights outside the IBM i ecosystem and applying them specifically to IBM i managers.

Article Summary: Marc Lore, Wonder CEO, reveals insights from 25 years of hiring experience.

His approach emphasizes culture fit and long-term performance management for scaling organizations.

Focus on consistency over uniqueness: For successful RPG shops, this means understanding what motivates RPG and IBM i developers and having the ability to leverage and improve their skills.
Identify true talent efficiently: RPG Developer Superhero’s (👇 see below) have unique traits and characteristics and show consistent success across all roles.
Value stability and growth: Look for candidates with multi-year tenures who combine traditional IBM i skills with modern tech expertise. Value those proficient in both RPG (fixed and free-format) and contemporary tools like VSCode, Git, and REST APIs. Ideal candidates show continuous growth and actively contribute to open-source projects.
Adapt interview approach for top talent: With proven IBM i performers, focus on cultural fit and opportunity alignment rather than competency assessment. Consider conducting working interviews where candidates participate in team discussions and problem-solving sessions – this helps evaluate how they think, communicate, and integrate with your existing team dynamics.

Successful IBM i talent acquisition requires balancing platform-specific expertise with universal hiring principles. By emphasizing consistent performance, continuous learning, and cultural fit, organizations can build effective teams that modernize their IBM i systems while preserving the platform’s core strengths.

🦸‍♂️ RPG developers evolve into modern tech superheroes

Drawing parallels with comic book characters, successful RPG developers demonstrate superhero-like traits in today’s IT landscape.

From Plastic Man’s flexibility to Superman’s comprehensive expertise, these professionals combine traditional IBM i knowledge with modern development capabilities.

Key characteristics include:

Unwavering determination
Natural curiosity
Strong problem-solving abilities
An adaptable mindset focused on continuous growth

Are you an RPG Superhero?

Trends

🔒 OpenAI’s Orb Sparks Privacy Debate

Are we really ready for this?

Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity launches a controversial biometric scanning device called the Orb, designed to verify human identity in an AI-dominated future.

The beach ball-sized sphere captures iris patterns to create unique digital IDs, offering users $42 in Worldcoin cryptocurrency.

While promising to protect online spaces from AI bots, the project raises concerns about privacy, data retention, and centralized control.

Critics question whether humanity is ready for such widespread biometric collection, especially as the company aims to verify 50 million people by 2025.

Is there a pause button? ⏸️

Apparently not, because OpenAI’s o3 model sabotaged the shutdown mechanism. If you are curious to learn more about “The Abort or Shut Down button in AI” have a listen to the Lex Friedman Podcast #419 where he interviews Sam Altman.

This one will get you thinking.

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