Are You Ready for the Tech Tsunami?

This blog was written by Founder & CEO Emad Mousavi. You can follow him on LinkedIn, where he regularly publishes articles about technology, business, and the future of the gig economy. https://www.linkedin.com/in/miremadmousavi/

In case you haven’t already noticed, technology and the internet has become a way of life – not simply one of many ways to do things faster or more easily but increasingly the only way to do things. High speed internet and smartphones are for all intents and purposes required to look for a job, watch TV, talk to family and tons of other everyday activities, and that’s before you even get into the millions of niche apps out there that help users accomplish any number of things.

People used to talk about IT as an industry that runs in parallel to, or at least in support of, other industries. Now, it feels like IT is becoming the infrastructure of almost all industries. It is not even just about the power of internet and smartphone apps, but rather the way technology is penetrating into our personal and business lives to the extent that to live or work without technology is becoming impossible.

Of course, the generation of business decision makers is also changing. No longer are face-to-face interviews required to hire someone or execute a deal; this new generation of owners and decision makers started using Facebook in high school and would be just as happy (if not happier) to meet you on a video call than in person. That in and of itself is evidence that globalization is upon us–where you live is no longer important to your ability to work for many (and a quickly growing list of) companies.

Then you should add to the equation the blockchain, which is just creating another wave of game changing technology, one with an as yet unknown magnitude and domain. We are talking about the possibilities of monopolies that are more like unions, of automatic transparencies without the need for a federal judge or presidential order for release of information, of a growing list of even playing fields for competition and census based ecosystems, including the possibility of fully transparent and trustworthy elections without any government interference. The possibilities truly are only limited by imagination.

That’s not just a wave on the horizon; that’s a tsunami. Are you ready for it?

Let’s check out some of the tech developments comprising the tsunami:

• Communication and business infrastructure tools like Zoom, Webex and Basecamp are making location no longer a concern for many employers and clients, meaning you can serve as a valuable contributor to a team from anywhere. This is inherently a good thing, but will become more of a challenge for those who aren’t prepared and rely on privileges they have been taking for granted.

• Digital marketing technologies like SEO, automated media buying tools, and data-driven targeting platforms, are giving companies a much more effective way to reach and influence the newer generation of decision makers. These tools have massively overhauled the marketing discipline in the last handful of years, making formerly time consuming manual processes faster, easier, and cheaper than ever. But in order to gain that benefit you have to have the technical knowledge needed to use them. Speaking of which…

• Free and low cost access to training and educational material is becoming another major influencer on business success that is driven by technology. With tools like Linda and Skillshare, anyone in any position could begin to acquire the skills they need to move through the ranks and help their company succeed. That goes for freelancers too, and anyone, except those that are not tech friendly…

• AI and data driven insights are overtaking the traditional ways of making decisions at every level. The last generations’ titans of business could be easily toppled by computers that complete millions of analyses per second and use solid data and predictive modeling to make most effective decisions. And AI is certainly not kept behind the high walls of the giant tech companies; it’s even available to anyone via some apps and platforms.

• One of the most recent  and important tech developments is blockchain, which we’ve discussed many times (see for example What is Blockchain Anyway?) Blockchain has already shaken up several industries by providing unmatched data processing speed and accuracy as well as security. Blockchain has also been named one of the most in-demand job skills out there, and because of the reverberation of its impact across industries, businesses are scrambling to acquire the tools and talent needed to keep up with the demand.

So what does all this mean?

It means, essentially, that all the traditional paths to success no longer apply, for businesses or individuals. Modern decentralized marketplace platforms like QuiGig aim to make all of these tools–blockchain, data analytics, AI-driven algorithms, marketing–available to any freelancer, entrepreneur, or even small businesses, putting them on a more even competitive field with the major enterprises and established companies. Running a business on such a platform helps you avoid getting bogged down in these tasks, all of which are needed to compete, but which can be resource-draining if they have to be handled manually.

With a wealth of technological developments over the last few decades, which have made the tools of success available to anyone, individual workers and entrepreneurs can avoid being swept under the tsunami; rather they can actually surf the crest of the wave to grow their own businesses.