The Lie that Tech is Built On

We tell ourselves a lie that is deep at the core of who we are as technologists. A statement that’s driven how we build applications, systems, frameworks, everything. You can see it in the way we secure systems, in how we interact with users, and even in how we talk about our industry. That lie is this:

We have the answer to your problem.

The other day, I was scrolling through LinkedIn when I came across a post asking a simple question. Which UI was better? In the post was a picture of two screens that represented a user interface, and the question asked: which image was the best interface? The post garnered several responses, and threads spawned within the comments about why a particular choice was the solution.

The point of the post was clear: there is a correct answer to this problem. But I don’t believe that. It’s a lie. And it’s one we perpetuate every day in the tech industry.

There are a million ways to skin a cat, and in technology, there are 10 million ways to solve a problem. So we can’t be arrogant enough to think that one way is the way. Instead, we should focus on providing customers an easy way to use technology to solve their problems and crafting our expertise and knowledge with their creativity and problem set. We should always look to be solution providers. The customer has a problem; we provide solutions on how they can approach it. Adaptable solutions that allow the customer to choose the way they solve their problems. When we take this approach, the conversations we have with our peers and our customers fundamentally change. We focus on creating products that give customers the ability to solve their complex problems quickly. We don’t push users to assume what we think is the best way to accomplish a task. Granted, it’s a slippery slope we have to walk because our customers look to us to provide our expertise and provide answers, and I’m not saying we shouldn’t do those things. I am saying that we should do so in a way that allows the customer to be a part of the solution provided.

Technology is constantly changing and will continue to change as we move forward. What we thought was improbable ten years ago is table stakes today. What we thought was impossible 20 years ago, we carry around in our pockets today. Imagine what we’ll think and do ten years from today. So how could we possibly believe that we have the solution to your problems today?
Stated, we don’t know what the future will bring. We can’t have all of the answers today. So how could we possibly expect our customers to have all of their problems solved? What if instead of providing a solution that solves “the” problem, we try to solve customer’s problems with them? Instead of asking the question “Which UI is better?” let’s ask, “What makes navigating this page easy for you?” and we take those answers to create an interface that the customer can build to suit their needs. Instead of promoting security tools that “fix your security issues,” we provide customers with tools and strategies to help them have a better security posture. In short, we don’t want to be the answer factory. We want to be problem solvers.

So the next time you interact with your customer and are presented with the opportunity to provide an answer, take a beat and ask yourself this question. Is what I’m about to see “the” way to solve this problem, or “a” way to solve this problem? What options can I give this customer to make this easier? When you’re in your product meeting battling down the makeup of a new feature, ask yourself and your team, are we providing “the way” or are we providing “a way”.

The tech industry is built on the lie that technologists have all the answers. Technologists should look at themselves as solution providers instead of people who provide an answer factory; they can offer more when they don’t close their minds off to other possibilities. What does this mean for you? It means that you will be able to find solutions faster because your mind isn’t limited by only knowing one way to do things. Are you an answer factory or a solution provider?