I’m Naive
Posted by Anthony
No, really, it's true. And so are you.
Humanity's number one biggest downfall is that we think we understand exponentially more than we do; we think technology can solve every problem, we trust people in positions higher than us to solve those problems, and we ignorantly accept that once we haven't heard about a problem in the news for a couple months, it no longer exists.
If ever there was a period in time that has proven this sentiment accurate, it has been the last decade or so. Last I checked, we (including but not limited to):
- Attempted to restructure entire cultures in Afghanistan and Iraq
- Suffered from a hurricane in New Orleans that devastated the region
- Had an economic meltdown of epic proportions due in large part to the advent of subprime lending
- Leaked hundred of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico that affected sea life & towns within hundred of miles
- Had a nuclear plant fail due to an earthquake, releasing hundreds of millions times a safe radiation level into the air & Pacific Ocean
In the short-term aftermath of nearly every single one of these events, the question on nearly everyone's mind was, "how could this happen?" But the reality that everyone knows - perhaps subconsciously, on a visceral level - is that these sorts of things happen because us humans are not in control of anywhere near as much as we think we are. We think we can dictate cultures, markets, nature - anything we throw enough determination and cash money at.
But we can't. Most grown adults can't even control their children. And then they go to work and try to control the world. It's a mind-numbingly ridiculous concept.
In spite of all of this, humanity's biggest strength is, well, the same arrogance and short-term myopia that kicks it in the ass every once in a while. After all, without dreaming big and quickly putting our failures behind us, we wouldn't get very far. And we use that mentality to accomplish the unthinkable - connecting societies all around the world via wireless signals, traveling across the world and to the moon, saving & extending lives. None of this would be possible without telling ourselves, every single day, that our capabilities are virtually limitless.
We just need to remind ourselves every now and then that most stengths come with corresponding weaknesses. Without understanding that, we're not well-balanced; we're just naive. Ignorant. And that will ultimately lead to our unraveling.
Technology Overload
Posted by Anthony
Don't blink. You may miss the latest must-have gadget, piece of software or technological convention. And without a doubt, you and your business will suffer because of it. Right?
Maybe. But probably not.
I know. A bit of an unexpected stance, coming from an entrepreneur in the web development industry. But in the past few years, I've been extremely in tune to the fact that most adults these days share a weakness - they obsess over new technology in about as levelheaded a manner as a child lusts for a new toy. Every time we see a new innovation, we immediately need to find a reason to have it and/or use it. And that's a problem.
We shouldn't be wasting resources buying, learning or implementing new things because they're cool. Technology should fill a need.
Now, that's not to say we can't have fun every once in a while. I bought a Droid X because it's a grownup toy that I enjoy. I mess around with new web technologies from time to time because they're fun. And every once in a while, those fun things turn out to legitimately help advance my knowledge and/or my business in a significant way. But most of the time, they don't. Most of the time, we're blinded by too much form and not enough function. Or by a technology that's 5-10 years too early to matter.
From a business standpoint - especially as a startup entrepreneur - what you need to do is focus. And it's hard to do that when you spend more time upgrading to 2.0 and 3.0 than taking full advantage of all 1.0 had to offer in the first place.
I see this everywhere. ERP systems are upgraded every year because they're "supposed to be". Phones are upgraded because 2 years are up. New web technologies are used because they're "more standard", despite the fact that current standards can usually get the same job done with less effort and more compatibility.
From now on, I encourage you to follow this rule: Buy new gadgets... for yourself. Try new technology... on your own watch. And stay up on the times... using side projects to learn your way. By all means, do these things because the kid in you wants to. But recognize where the kid should leave and the adult should enter. Once you step foot in your office, on the money-making clock, make decisions on the basis of what will be a sound decision from that standpoint. You just may find that Facebook apps, Droids, HTML5, and [insert latest crazes here] are nothing more than fun (but dangerous) distractions from real business.
All of this being said, you need to stay on top of new technology, because eventually these things do become relevant, obvious, cost-effective choices that you absolutely should make. But there is a difference between constantly learning and constantly adopting. Early adopters are rarely rewarded. While they're running around like chickens with their heads cut off, other people are utilizing "old" technology in perfectly efficient and effective ways, and making profits. Profits that will help them re-invest in new technology, when the time is right, with the satisfaction that the old technology was given enough time to realize a positive ROI. After all, that's the point of it, right?