When a new technology emerges, entrepreneurs first use it to replace or improve everyday routines.
Typewriters –> Word processors
Postal mail –> Email
Shopping –> E-commerce
Landlines –> Mobile phones
In-person chats –> Online chats and social networks
Projector slides → PowerPoint slides
If a new version of an old routine is easy to use, intuitive, and affordable, it takes off.
At this stage, non-techies like Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos often succeed the most.
They bridge the gap between tech and customer needs.
But then four things happen:
[1] Most simple tasks are already automated. Customers have what they need and don’t ask for more. There are other routines to automate, but they require more complex solutions. [2] Techies run the show because they know how to create complex solutions. But techies know little about people, that’s why they became techies in the first place. [3] Technology is still not good enough for such complex solutions. No one needs a driverless car that drives worse than a human or dumb AI. [4] Investors demand the next big thing.At this stage, talking fridges, smart speakers, metaverse, Meta smart glasses, Apple Vision Pro, consumer 3D printers, driverless cars, and many other useless devices emerge.
A tech-first approach creates tech monsters. We need a human-first approach instead.
Svyatoslav Biryulin
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