Want To Succeed in Tech? Stay out of The ‘Game’.
Stop putting too much focusing on the code. Rather, put your time and other resources in the product or service that the end-user interacts with.
“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.” ― Martin Fowler
If you are in the world of technology, you are either a programmer or not. If you’re a programmer, chances are you have a 9 to 5 job at some company or you’re freelancing at the comfort of your couch. It could also be that you are running a startup trying to make your mark in the market or maybe you were laid off since most companies are running out of business and can’t sustain their employees anymore.
If you’re not a programmer, chances are you a business expert or adviser or maybe a venture capitalist eying the most promising tech innovation that’s currently hot in the market so you can craft a 60-page contract, that you know they’ll never read, for a very promising 5 million equity investment deal that’s is perfectly designed to aid a hostile takeover in your favor.
Maybe you fall in the neutral line and can be referred to as a tech enthusiast. In this category, you ideally have basic knowledge on almost every popular stack although, the idea of being a full-on programmer is terrifying to you. You possibly have access to funding from your rich family or a wide network of friends in the corporate industry or perhaps you have too much knowledge on the many alternative ways to raise capital for a startup.
Regardless of which category you fall into, we all have one wish, to become successful.
So tell me, How do you define success? Is it making tens of millions of dollars? Or is it making a billion dollars?
However you choose to define success, money has proven to be the greatest motivator. As it stands, our fiat currencies are just rectangular pieces of paper that have no intrinsic value whatsoever but with it, you can still buy just about anything and fulfill your wildest desires and dreams.
But the Big Question is How do you get to succeed?
The answer to this question is quite simple but also complicated at the same time. Stay out of the game and be part of it at the same time.
Let me explain.
Are you a fan of any sport? And ideally, the kind of sport that involves two teams on each side with multiple players on the pitch? The best examples I can think of are maybe soccer, rugby, American football or maybe basketball. Regardless of the sport, you choose you should be able to understand my theory of success.
If you are a fan, good. If you’re not, chances are that you have once watched a match before. As much as you might not have understood the game, that instance is of significance here.
Whenever we watch our favorite teams play, there are so many instances we get furious at the players for not converting an obvious chance to a goal. Having the full view of the pitch makes us see too many mistakes in the game that are made by pro players. The truth is, as good as you are in the game as a player, the fans will always be steps ahead of you.
You might be wondering what all this has to do with the tech industry and how it helps you get better and possibly become successful. I’ll break it down further.
The pitch symbolizes the industry in which you are, the game symbolizes the service or product you are offering to the consumers and the players symbolize you and your competitors.
In the battle between tech companies, it always boils down to the engineers and further down to the code they’ve written. Programmers are always in battle with each other as to whoever comes with the best code and thus better product and more chances of securing funding from the investors. We get so immersed in the idea of being better that we always miss the bigger picture.
Business is not about the technology or how efficient your code is compared to that of your competitors. It’s always about the product and the business model you come up with. Businesses should always be consumer-oriented. One company might have a whack code and inferior technology but the product they manage to build around that technology is far much more appealing to the average consumer out in the streets.
So, however superior you feel to your competitors in terms of the tech stack you are on, for a minute, step out of the battle between your fellow engineers and redirect your focus and energy on the end-user and only then will you see the direction you should take as a company for greater impact on the market. As it is, the true power to your success lies in the hands of the end-users.
