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My background is decidedly un-techy. Like many people, I use a computer every day and have absolutely no idea how it actually works. My business sits squarely in the realm of humans interacting with other humans. Nary a microchip or string of code in sight. And yet, through a combination of serendipity and choice, we have happily found ourselves smack dab in the middle of the Michigan tech scene.
Spoiler alert. You are part of the tech scene too, even if you haven’t fully wrapped your brain around it yet. Maybe you are like me, and the complexity of technology makes you a little anxious. Maybe you are actively resisting. We are all at different stages in our journey.
But I have to tell you from experience, Tech-Land is a fascinating place, filled with fascinating humans, and you belong here, too! Yes, even if you have no idea how to code or program.
If you are a non-techy human nervously hanging out at the edge of the Tech-Land pool, I'd like to share a few high-level thoughts to help you acclimate to the water.
Accept the rapid change
Every generation says, “Things are changing so fast,” and every generation is right. But this one? This one wins the gold medal in holy-hell-what-now speed. AI is not the only example, but it is the example that is on everyone’s minds.
From a business perspective, if we compare the use of LLMs (large language models) like Chat GPT to the widespread adoption of the internet, AI is becoming mainstream much faster — and the internet was fast! The internet took 10 to 15 years to gain traction and saturation. In the mid-1990s, use was primarily concentrated in large companies, and by the dot-com boom of the early 2000s, internet usage, from communication to commerce, had become ubiquitous.
By contrast, OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022, and within 12 months, its use has spread to everything from boardrooms to brainstorming sessions and every eighth LinkedIn post. It’s not coming; it’s already here, and it is being widely used in apps and tools that you use every day.
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The Human Solution’s Anna Baeten believes in the power of curiosity to propel us forward.
Whether we like it, fear it, or still call it “the robot,” AI (and tech, more broadly) is now everyone’s business.
So what is the most strategic thing you can do? Start learning. This does not mean that you will need to become a prompt engineer, but staying relevant requires knowledge or at least familiarity with emerging systems. Staying informed will enable you to be literate, curious, and useful.
Every industry is now a tech industry
When we say “tech company,” we’re usually picturing the classic Silicon Valley startup fantasy: a brilliant coder in a garage wearing a hoodie and very expensive sneakers. However, that is an outdated caricature, given that tech is everywhere now.
Companies come to tech in different ways. Some start with a tech innovation and build a company around it. Many others start with a service, product, or brick-and-mortar model and tech-enable that business over time to expand, automate, improve, and stay competitive.
The question isn’t, “Am I in tech?” The questions are: “How is tech changing the game in my industry?” and “Where am I already relying on it, consciously or not?” and “What do I need to learn so I’m not left in the digital dust while my competitors automate onboarding, scale marketing, and create frighteningly charming AI bots?”
Join the fun! All are invited
So, if you look at something like
Tech Week Grand Rapids and think, “This is not for me, I am not a tech person,” or “Networking at a tech event sounds really intimidating,” let me say again, you belong here, and we are all learning.
Yes, you might be a little anxious, but remember:
- Humans are humans: Good news! Tech people are just people, and tech businesses are just businesses. Yes, there is a lot of scary lingo and vocabulary, but whether your primary product is an SAAS (software as a service) app, a car part, or a candle, all of these products are made by humans who have to interact with other humans to get the job done.
- You can start small: The amount of information, combined with constant rapid change, is overwhelming. But you can start anywhere. Start small. Watch one video. Attend a panel discussion that piques your interest. Join a networking event and give yourself permission to just observe. Ask simplification questions along the way, such as, “What is the simplest use case that you could see being useful in my day-to-day work/for my company/for my industry?” Find small ways to experiment with tech in your day-to-day life. It doesn’t have to be everything all at once. You can wade into the pool at your own pace.
Final Thought: Curiosity = Currency
Tech rewards the curious. It’s built by people asking weird questions and testing impossible things. Curiosity is part of the culture. You don’t have to “know it all.” You just have to start asking. Ask Google. Ask ChatGPT. Ask that coworker who talks about APIs (or application programming interface).
The key to curiosity begins with asking questions. Then ask more questions, because if you are like me, you still may not fully understand, as in the previous example, what an application programming interface is, and that is OK.
Stay playful. Stay thoughtful. Stay human. And welcome to Tech-Land.
Anna Baeten is the founder and principal of The Human Solution, a leadership training and growth strategy collaborative dedicated to transforming the way individuals and organizations navigate leadership. To learn more about its work or make an appointment, visit http://www.humansolutiongroup.com.
Photo courtesy of The Human Solution/Anna Baeten.