Tech for Non-Techies

To have a thriving career in the Digital Age, traditional business skills are not enough. But taking tech course after tech course isn't helpful either. Follow this three step framework to transform your career: Learn to  speak tech Get involved  with the right projects Tell the world  about whom you have become Get the   Speak Tech Guide  -  FREE guide  to the top 10 concepts all business leaders...

What kind of doorbell do you use? A buzzer? A door knocker or a Ring smart doorbell system? Right now, you can see all three inventions in use: one that has been around for millennia, and another that was created just 20 years ago. This shows the wide gap between tech invention and its wide-scale adaption. While the Ring doorbell system is now well known, some people still prefer to use a door kno...

Digital Transformation is going to continue being a huge force in business, but the way it's being done is changing. People, not tech tools, are the new priority. Listen to this episode to learn how to make the most of this opportunity. Learning notes from this episode: Global digital transformation spending is forecast to reach $3.4 trillion by 2026 , from around 1.6 trillion today, according to...

Despite the many press releases touting Silicon Valley's diversity efforts, the majority of funding from this innovation will still go to white males in 2023.  While this reality is not what many of us want, it is an opportunity for investors and innovators to capture overlooked user markets.  Learning notes from this episode: A product is a solution to a problem a human is experiencing.  Innovato...

The biggest gains and innovations will come from digital technologies in healthcare in 2023. Big Tech firms have already entered healthcare, with Amazon buying One Medical and launching Amazon Clinic in 2022. But, healthcare tech innovation is happening across the board: from start-ups to hospital systems. Learning notes from this episode: As Big Tech firms' valuations have fallen, they have becom...

At this time of year, many ambitious professionals sign up to education programmes to take their career to the next level. Here's a guide on how to choose the right course for you and make the most of it once you've signed up. How to choose the right online course for you: Familiarise yourself with the instructor's work and point of view Invest your time and energy before you invest your money. If...

If you're feeling guilty about switching on yet another streaming series, here are three shows you can watch to learn about tech in your downtime: General Magic  - tells the tale of how a great vision and an epic failure changed the lives of billions. It is a documentary about the people and the technologies that led to the creation of the iPhone. Silicon Valley  by HBO – comedy series about a sta...

This December, Microsoft (founded in 1975) took a 4% stake in the London Stock Exchange (founded in 1698). As part of this deal, the LSE will spend at least $2.8 billion on Microsoft's cloud related services in the next 10 years. Big Tech and finance have been getting closer and closer in recent years. The CME has a deal with Google, AWS has a deal with Nasdaq, and almost all banks and insurers no...

Joining the advisory board of a promising tech start-up will teach you vital skills, build your network and transform your professional brand. It is a great way to reshape your career, while still working in your current role. Here is how to do it: Remember the  difference between boards of directors and advisory boards.  The former have fiduciary responsibility and the ability to hire / fire the...

There is plenty of hype about AI, but most organisations are still using old precesses to make decisions. We are  in the  Between Times : " after AI's clear promise and before its transformational impact, " as described in the book  Power and Prediction: the disruptive economics of Artificial Intelligence .  In this episode, Professor Joshua Gans, one of the book's co-authors explains why organisa...

Why do you keep checking your phone, even when you're trying not to? It's because the apps on your phone use the Hook Model. described by Nir Eyal in his book  Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products . To learn how apps like Instagram, LinkedIn and Vivino keep us coming back to our screens, listen to this episode. Learning notes from this episode: Habits are behaviours done with little or no c...

As the tech sector lays off employees, there is still plenty of opportunity to be a Digital Leader.  Playing the long game is making use of the opportunities you have in front of you today, while keeping your eye on the future.  Here are three ways to become a digital leader today: Work in the digital team of a traditional business: Some traditional businesses also have innovative tech-like enviro...

Cloud computing powers most of the digital services you use today. Listen to this podcast episode to learn what it is and why it matters. Learning notes from this episode: The cloud computing is expecting huge growth : the total cloud computing market is estimated to be reach $1,614 by 2030 from $545 billion in 2022, according to Precedence Research . Before the advent of cloud computing, technolo...

To lead in the Digital Age, you need a network of developer friends. They can help you understand the latest tech trends and decipher jargon. But to build the right network, you need to act intentionally. Don't just hunt down anybody who has ever taken a python course. There are two types of developers: managers and specialists. All developers start off as coders, but as they progress in their car...

To succeed in today's economy, you simply have to speak tech. But, if nobody knows about your new digital skills, you won't become a digital leader. This is why,  to go from traditional business manager to digital leader, you need to actively work on changing your professional image. Here are three hacks to help you change perceptions today:   1) Update your LinkedIn profile For senior level oppor...

To be digitally savvy, follow the 30% rule – this is the minimum threshold that gives us just enough digital literacy to thrive in the tech age, says Professor Paul Leonardi. "To have digital transformation in your company,  you don't need to know how to code, but you need to know enough about coding to be dangerous.  This means being able to talk to the people in your organisation who are working...

If you want to have a great career today, you simply have to Speak Tech. But, taking courses is not enough. You must combine learning with smart actions to make your investment pay off. Here are five action steps you can take today to thrive in the Tech Age: Get involved with a tech start-up : if you have specialist expertise, offer to become an advisor to a start-up so you can learn how digital i...

"The business strategies employed by highly successful start-ups and the career strategies employed by highly successful individuals are strikingly similar,"  says Reid Hoffman in his book  The Startup of You . VC premise 1: technology is a tool that solves a problem Ask yourself: what problems is your industry facing now? What problems are you dealing with on day-to-day basis? VC Premise 2: the p...

Software updates can have weird unintended consequences that the company doesn't even know about. Existing features that worked perfectly can stop working, leading to lost revenues and annoyed customers. Listen to this episode to learn why this happens and  how non-technical leaders deal with it  when it does. Learning notes from this episode: A developer could write a line of code to affect one o...

Technology is a tool, not an end in itself. The quickest way to bridge the gap between tech and business teams is to relate business outcomes to technology.  Learning notes from this episode: In  every company, you always have two sides : the people who  make  the product, and the people who  sell  the product. The aim of both sides is to grow the business , but they solve the same problem using d...

"Successful entrepreneurs don't have better ideas, they have a better process,"  says Eric Reis in  The Lean Start-Up . To learn how to innovate with speed, listen to this week's episode. Learning notes from this episode: " A start-up is a human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty,"  says Reis. Do not to apply your corporate experience to...

When investing in Deep Tech, remember that technology is just a tool, not an end in itself. Understanding who will use it and why is key to becoming smart money. Learning notes from this episode: When investing in any business, you must  consider these questions : What problem are you solving? Who are you solving it for? Are they willing and able to pay for it? Understand what stage of the innovat...

Great technology is not enough to build a successful business. You need customers who understand its benefits, and are willing to pay for them. This is why storytelling is a key part of commercialising innovation. Lauren Xandra , Head of Marketing at Two Sigma Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in deep tech, talks about her role in building successful tech businesses and how she transition...

Companies like Deep Mind fascinate investors and innovators, but what is a deep tech company really and how does it differ from other types of tech firms? Listen to this episode to find out. Learning notes from this episode: Deep Tech is a sub-sector of the technology sector where the emphasis is on tangible engineering innovation or scientific advances and discoveries.  It includes artificial int...

The porn industry is behind many of the innovations that drive e-commerce and the consumer internet today. If you want to know what new trend is going to be the hottest thing in tech, the makers of smut probably have the answer. Learning notes from this episode: The adult industry pioneered  streaming video ,  tracking devices  and online  credit card transactions. Even before the advent of the in...