Comments on: How Should We Manage Technology?

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:05:00 +0000

The difficulty comes when you try and monetize something. The biggest and best non-hardware technologies that have emerged have been free – Google, MySpace, Facebook, etc. They were created by people that have a passion for excellence and meeting a need. They knew that if they built that (and built it well) first, the money would come.I can't tell you how many meetings I have been in where people were excited about emerging technology and green lights were even given, but nothing emerged. I knew from the beginning that nothing would emerge because I knew that we weren't willing to invest first and worry about money later.Being DRM free is a big key. I love the way you put it – platform agnostic. Until we move past kingdom building, emerging technology will always go first to those that can afford it. Think about how many iPods and/or iPhones would/could be out there if they weren’t tied to one carrier and were more affordable?I have been out of the digital world in my industry for about two years now, but I am still passionate about it. Obviously money has to be made – it’s the American way – but when that is the primary concern, technology will continue to be difficult to manage – both for the creator and the consumer.

By: Lisa Green

Lisa Green — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Understanding the "win" is critical for me. What's the best way to reach our goal? That's the question people should ask and not "What can be come up with the technology and skills we have." Also great insight on websites. Most people assume their website design and functionality should last way past its time.

By: Chris Arsenault

Chris Arsenault — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:38:00 +0000

There's still a great deal of complexity in the way things are created – we're hanging onto old behaviors and mindsets. Yet the hardware (and connections via the web) have become so fast, our brains (and software tools) haven't caught up.I literally have a pile of tech books and equipment that is useless, so investment has to be targeted towards rapid & higher rates of return. (Depreciation rates are useless).Equipment is expendable, but people aren't and yet skill sets need constant revision. Investing in the core values that endure through change is critically important.Adaptability and self-education seem to be a trait that's moving into legacy behaviors – just as being able to write, and communicate well.Identifying and instilling that is more important than the next greatest hardware innovation.

By: estephen

estephen — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:24:00 +0000

Your remark about "playing with others" is key. Technologies are going to continue to fly in our face. The challenge is to run them through the "so what" filter. Every business needs to first understand its business objectives. Then, it applies the technologies if and only if it advances them. There will be exceptions where a business will just try something because of a low cost/low risk profile. But in the end, its about the biz strategy. Even with this (admittedly over simplified) approach one will end up with a large number of components to tie together. Adherence to open standards and products that integrate well is the key to "playing well with others".HTH