Tech For Non-Techies …!

So, please don’t assume that everything in tech can magically be done with a couple click and a swoosh of our magical virtual wand. Also do your best to be realistic about your requests — especially when it comes to timelines. Nothing in the land of tech takes five minutes — even though it sounds simple. There’s an art to what we do, and we truly do our very best to make the process quick and painless. But we need time (and usually some funky music to work to the groove or utter silence to solve your technology pain point).

So, how does a techie professional, like us, explain technical ideas and solutions to a non-techie audience? 

Well … in the same manner as one would any other information actually — in a clear and compelling way. The relative complexity of our message doesn’t mean we can’t be a good storyteller or convey the details, solutions, ideas, and information with an easy, fun, or even memorable approach. But it does take being mindful of the receiver and a heck of a lot of hard work.

One thing I’ve observed in the land of tech during my many jobs prior to solo-preneur’ing and now through VU, is that majority of tech experts talk to non-tech experts in a way that puts them down, and maybe even makes them feel stupid for not knowing or understanding how to fix said pain point themselves, how to create their idea virtually, or perhaps even how it broke in the first place. And this my friends … if this is YOU or has ever happened to you, it’s completely unacceptable.

Tech gurus need to remember, although technical jargon may be second nature for us to throw out acronyms like AWS, GCP, SWS, and VGP, certain terminology may confuse or disengage the less technically savvy receiver. And in some instances, they may not even care to know #AllTheThings … They just want whatever “it” is created or fixed. So, while working your magical virtual wand, take some time to make sure your receiver (or perhaps even audience) understands the context of the pain point. And if possible, avoid using jargon altogether and translate your second nature terminology into layman’s terms.

Speaking of “if they even want to know at all” …
This information is probably totally fascinating to you, but it may not be fascinating – or relevant – to “them”. So, if you feel the need to truly explain (perhaps to prevent said “thing” from reoccurring), keep it to the highlights. Focus on the initiatives and pain points they care about the most, and your interactions will have a much greater impact with the non-techies who are involved.

Think of things this way …

You have a health issue, so you go visit your doctor or take a trip to the hospital. When you finally get in to see the doctor and tell them about your pain, they don’t call you stupid then use a million terms to explain to you what’s wrong, how it happened in the first place or got this bad, and what you can do about it in ways you don’t understand.

They are kind. They talk to you about your pain in a way that you understand, without making you feel silly for not knowing #AllTheThings in medical land. Yes! They may use a handful of medical terms you consider jargon, but they always make the effort to explain in layman’s terms, then open the floor for questions.

Now, one of the best things about entrepreneurship is that it’s open to anyone and everyone. You don’t have to go through a million years of study to become a business owner – if you’ve got a stellar idea and can sell it, you can start right away, no matter your age. There are millions upon trillions of success stories about people who started their very own business from scratch, without a single qualification to back them up, and they made it big! People such as Bill Gates and Richard Branson — both were college dropouts. So, it’s clear you don’t need a crap ton of education to make it on your own, you just need that stellar idea and a heck of a lot of drive and determination to make #AllTheThings happen.

The truth is that today, tech is transforming and evolving to the way we live. And even though there’s no shortage of new tech devices, software, applications, and social spaces coming out every single day, people are ready for it, and they still want more.

Tech is about solving problems (aka. “pain points” as we like to call them!); sometimes people don’t even realize they had these pain points until they are presented with a solution. Nobody thought that they needed a smart fridge that sends them a list of everything in it when they’re at the supermarket so that they don’t shop for things they don’t need. But those who have one now … couldn’t possibly imaging living without it!

That being said, if you have an idea … a solution to a common pain point … an urge … the will to want to learn … to take on the world of tech on your own in your business … Let’s call this a version of “levelling the playing field”.

And it goes a little something like this …

• Know your sh*t (re: tech 101)
• Understand the basics
• Do the “dirty” work
• Take baby steps
• Expand your knowledge
• Know your tools (re: platforms)
• Foster your network

And above all … MAKE IT FUN!