Tech Only Matters If It Affects The Customer

techA few years ago I attended an event in which most of the attendees were programmers. As everyone introduced themselves they talked about what programming language they used and why it was the best. When it came to my turn I told them something none of them wanted to hear. I said, “Your customers don’t care what programming language you use. They have a problem and all they care about is that it is solved.”

Several years have passed since that meeting and I still meet web developers who insist their websites are the best because of the tech they use. Technical people fail to understand that the end user isn’t impressed by the technical specs. They are impressed by how much easier something makes their lives. If your technology does not make an impact on the customer, it doesn’t matter. Does it make the job easier? Does it make the process more efficient? Does it make the customer enjoy the experience? Like any other service, you need to judge if tech makes the work faster, cheaper, or better. If it doesn’t do one of these things, find one that does.

Jargon doesn’t win customers. Results do.