The Critical Component to AgTech Data? Humans.
DecisionNext is a tool that companies can use to analyze data in order to make more optimal commodity pricing decisions.
“The machines are taking over!” You might say.
Not exactly.
I had the chance to interview DecisionNext Co-Founder and CEO Mike Neal on the Future of Agriculture Podcast. Check out the full episode here if you’d like to listen:
There were several “Ah Ha” moments during the interview. In fact I think you can literally here me say “ah ha” in the background a few times as Mike is speaking. One in particular stands out:
A successful technology needs to both build trust with, and leverage the power of the human user.
How does a technology build trust? Transparency.
Mike explains in the interview that his customers don’t want a “magic black box” that just spits out answers and directions. They won’t trust what they’re getting.
Instead, it’s important for the tool to demonstrate where that answer is coming from. “How the sausage is made” to use the very appropriate meat analogy.
I guess this shouldn’t be shocking to me that people don’t want a computer telling them how to do their job. Instead, they want to use tools to gain an advantage over their competitors in the market.
In fact, Mike also explains that when trust can be built between human and machine, the outcomes are more effective than even the latest and greatest technology by itself.
When humans trust both the technology AND their own intuition based on experience and pattern recognition, they kick ass. Ok, those are my words, not Mike’s. But the sentiment is the same.
To illustrate, Mike uses chess as an example. Technological advancements lead to a computer who could beat top chess champions. However, that computer can still be beat by a human if they are allowed to use a computer to aid in their decision making.
Meaning, the synergies between computing power and human intuition are what we should be striving to achieve.
I believe this to be true across all of agtech.
For these reasons, I think one should be skeptical of products that seem to offer a magic solution without showing you exactly how that solution is reached. Equally, look for technologies that are going to compound your strengths as a human being over those that are going to take you out of the equation.
This excites me about the future of agriculture. We can leverage the latest advancements, but also double-down on human experience, training, and expertise.
How are you using technology to operate at your best?
