Do you ever see those surveys? The ones asking, “which of these solutions do you use for ….” It could be everything from project management to sending email to creating video. While I thought I was doing okay (Constant Contact* for email, Streamyard for livestreaming, Canva for graphics), I didn’t recognize most of the apps and platforms listed, many with comments like “My business couldn’t survive without this!”
Is it time to upgrade your tech?
I’m a firm believer that tech should support strategy and goals, not the other way around. Technology changes every day, and I do sometimes fear that if you miss the evolutionary changes in tech, it may get so advanced that you can’t catch up. On the other hand, call it lazy or smart, I don’t want to learn complicated technology that I won’t need or that may not last. (You can read about the five stages of learning new tech here. Note that stage three is crying.)
How do you know which tech you really need to know?
Ask someone who knows these things. That’s something new we are going to do periodically throughout 2022 on Intercultural Spark, starting today with my guest, Thierry Hubert of Digimax Global, Inc. Thierry is a longtime friend and technologist doing things like using AI to look at human pattern detection to aid in hiring and other “human capital insight solutions.” Offense at the term “human capital” aside, Thierry is among people who are working on AI and IoT and digital currency and pushing the limits of the tech universe.
(Watch the interview now.)
You may never need any of this to run your business or realize life projects. However, when you understand the theories driving innovative technologies, you may find there is knowledge that scales to your needs, or at least informs what you are seeing in the market.
The oldest of phrases still rings true here. The only constant is change. You may decide you are fine where you are. But make that an active, informed, business decision.
Old School Is Still Cool
Earlier today, my college roommate’s millennial daughter posted that for her 33rd birthday she would like nothing more than to lie in bed and open a pile of letters on her special day. I barely know her. But how wonderful to be able to respond so easily to someone saying, “this will make me really happy if you do it.” It was non tech and effective. And I drew from a very ingrained boomer or even silent generation practice…always have boxes of sympathy, thank you and birthday note cards on hand. You know, just in case.
As high tech as we get, low tech and personal may still be the right solution.
What things, if any, have you “technified” in your business? What practices have you purposely not switched to a technology solution? What challenges do you wish had a better automated solution? Leave it in the comments.
More about Thierry Hubert
From managing a distributed workforce (fancy for you and your VA are in different cities) to AI to Apps and platforms that promise to make everything from hiring to marketing to project management to scheduling to operations easier…what technology makes sense and is scaled and affordable for your microbusiness?
What is coming down the pike in technology? What can you ignore, what should you keep an eye on, and what should you adopt right away?
Longtime Technologist Thierry Hubert’s interests and experiences are in innovation, social sciences, information overload, organic analytics, AI, social networking, collaborative computing and providing disruptive solutions and services to large organizations, focused on the user experience and measurable improvements.
“All technologies accelerate spacetime and reach,” says Hubert, who is currently the CTO at DigiMax Global, Inc., an AI solutions and services company. “Therefore technologies are disruptive to the social interaction ecosystem.” We’ll ask him to share how small and new entrepreneurs can leverage technology to sustain and grow their businesses.
Learn more at digimaxglobal.com.
p.s. While email marketing is still a highly effective way to communicate with clients and customers, some think Constant Contact is one of the more “old fashioned” providers. For me it’s an “if it ain’t broke” kind of thing. There are many other great email solutions. In fact I recommend Mailchimp to clients just getting started as it’s free until you have 500 names on your list.
