Vision, Trends and Pragmatism in Tech
Navigating rough seas.
This article is about how trends affect technology vision, why change is important, and the role of pragmatism („business awareness”) in the success of a technical vision.
Definitions
Technology vision is a direction and a long-term plan on how technology will 1) support the company strategy and 2) influence the business to unlock new opportunities. The vision is more similar to navigation and mapping than tactical decision-making. There is a saying that “no plan survives contact with the enemy,” so technical vision is a longer-term, flexible (up to a point) course that takes the business as a whole into account.
Pragmatism and trends have a big influence on technical vision.
- Trends come and go (constant change), and each leaves a valuable legacy.
- Pragmatism means being aware of multiple perspectives, staying objective and focusing on what is best for the business.
It’s dangerous not to change.
The context of most businesses is different today than it was five or ten years ago, and it will change again. The things that make us successful now won’t necessarily make us successful tomorrow.
