Every company is a tech company
So let’s focus on customers already
When I go to my favorite coffee shop, I rarely marvel in the point of sale device, the sound system, the mobile app, the furniture, the lighting, the refrigerators, the electronic shutters, or even the espresso machines. I’m there for a good cup of coffee and a friendly exchange with familiar faces. All the other stuff is just there to serve the experience.
Customer centricity isn’t a new idea. But it still feels new in tech. Even though we’ve been talking about it since at least 1997. And as uninspired AI messaging takes over Silicon Valley billboards, it seems we’re still a long way from truly grasping it. It’s lots more fun and profitable to write sci-fi stories whose heroes are the props, not the people.
Your advantage isn’t just unique tech. It’s how much better you understand your customers than everyone else.
Using the internet to run your business doesn’t make you a tech company. Every business that has ever existed has run on the technology of its time. Your goal isn’t innovation: it’s one-of-a-kind service, working backward from unmet customer needs. And if you’re really good at this, innovation — which doesn’t require a computer — is inevitable. And yes, profits too.
Your advantage isn’t just unique tech. It’s how much better you understand your customers than everyone else. You’re like a coach or therapist who’s unlocked a deeply personal insight for a group of people. They keep coming back to you because you helped them realize something they’ve intuited for years but couldn’t articulate. You make them feel seen. They found community through your products and services. This highly coveted relationship is just as hard to create as your code.
Chasing solutions is an exhausting race. Technology is changing all the time. But customer problems remain relatively constant. And with that stability you might find the focus to create the organization whose cohesive culture and high morale is the envy of the industry. Or the company whose processes truly bias for action, not just movement. Or the elusive 1-in-10 startup that makes it.
