What Tech Companies Need to Compete in 2015

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Don’t believe the hype—tech’s gender inequality has actually gotten worse, not better. In 1990, women held only 35 percent of America’s computing jobs. Fast-forward to 2013—23 years later—and that number has dropped to 26 percent. That’s shameful, and it needs to change immediately.

Let’s be real: The hiring pool for women is certainly smaller. But remember that this is a systemic change; the more women there are in tech, the more role models will exist for young girls who want to pursue STEM careers. We may not see the benefits for several years. But if we break these gendered stereotypes now, we will benefit from women’s innovations and ideas in the long run. Technology must speak to all consumers, and too many tech companies do a disservice to 50 percent of them.

The outlook for minorities is even more pressing. According to a report in USA Today, in a study done on seven Silicon Valley companies, only 2 percent of tech workers are black. Only 3 percent are Hispanic. And meanwhile, the number of black and Hispanic graduates from prestigious computer programs is 4.5 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. That means that there are qualified applicants sitting on the shelf that could better represent the ethnic diversity of our world.

Major tech companies have already started to recruit directly from historically black colleges and universities. That’s a good start, but such initiatives need to be continued and increased, by tech companies both big and small.

This one seems like a bit of a no-brainer. But it’s easy for a tech company to get tunnel vision, and that’s a dangerous game to play. Always keep the lines of communication open with consumers. There will always be perpetually unhappy customers, but there will also be those who can provide constructive feedback, detect and report bugs, and critique a marketing approach.

Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” How true that is? In an age of social media, the fine line between consumer and creator grows ever thinner. The tech savvy customer base thrives on collaboration and experimentation, and tech companies ought to cultivate that interest. No product is above reproach.

Although it’s important to retain the input of your most tech-savvy, cutting edge customers, a tech company’s marketing should not focus upon them exclusively. Instead, focus on the ‘middle’—your mainstream audience that is neither the first to adopt technology nor the last.

There was an insightful article, recently published in VentureBeat, which rang loud and true. Too often, tech companies allow a vocal few to lead them astray and detract from their larger success. It is important to consider them (and to encourage the supporters amongst them), but balance is essential. One can never make all of his or her customers happy. And one should not try.

It made headlines in 2014—embarrassing headlines. Hackers gained access to cloud technology and leaked the private data of thousands of users. Hackers gained access to a tech company’s private servers and leaked emails and internal information.

This has been happening, on and off, for a few years now, and tech companies need to make it the utmost priority. With additional security comes the additional knowledge to undo that security, and so it must be constantly updated and reinvented to counter those who would do users harm. The idea of online privacy may be on its way out in 2015, but it needn’t die such a violent death.

And speaking of privacy and ownership, tech companies should always protect their intellectual properties. It’s the danger of having a digitally connected world—it makes it that much easier to appropriate, imitate, and otherwise steal ideas—particularly overseas, where property laws are not as stringent.

To be a financially successful tech company, one must retain control over one’s creations. And although there are no easy answers to these modern problems (Different distribution methods? Better legislation? International cooperation?), it’s important to be on the right side of this issue. Tech companies should retain representation and align themselves with other, like-minded companies.

Technology is a crucial part of the modern classroom. It’s embedded directly into the Common Core, and it’s a top priority for schools that want to give their kids a modern education. The presence of eBooks is creating a paperless classroom. Laptops allow for seamless, collaborative group work. And smart boards have replaced slate boards and dry erase boards as the tools of choice for teachers.

Whether designing software or hardware, a company should always consider the following: How could this be leveraged in a classroom setting? Education, particularly public education, is in need of solutions. How does one establish a fair playing field between the privileged and the poor—between those who can afford a laptop and those who can’t afford a notepad? Perhaps technology can be that equalizer.

Global warming is a catastrophic problem. And although we may not see its first, most damaging effects for a few more decades, we need to address it here and now. Every company has an interest in keeping its customers above water (quite literally).

Whether it’s inventing new, green technology or encouraging more ethical, green practices, it’s important that tech companies think long term. Yes, data centers require cooling, and yes, the very idea of ‘industry’ makes environmentally friendly solutions scarce. But ideally, competition shouldn’t only be about money, but about who can leave the smallest carbon footprint behind.

It’s a quickly growing field, and it’s one that could change the lives of millions of people. The baby boomers are getting old, and as long as there are humans, we’ll never be rid of the conditions and diseases that plague us. More and more, technology is looking like the answer to several of these ailments.

Biotech, such as genetic testing, can detect predispositions to diseases, and technology is a boon to the medical field as well. From 3D imaging to robotic prosthetics, the healthcare field is wide open for some forward-thinking entrepreneurial minds to do some good.

It’s on the tip of everyone’s lips: wearable tech. It’s the latest integration between everyday life and technology, and any tech company worth its salt would be wise to look into it. Between smart watches and fitness bands, 20 percent of Americans already own a wearable, and we’re still in the infancy stages of its adoption.

But it’s important to recognize a few more sobering truths. Only 33 percent of consumers who purchased a wearable still uses the device, which tells us an important thing—as of now, wearables are more of a fad than a lifestyle choice. Rather than saturating the market with identical products, an ambitious tech company might focus on a few key areas. First, making the wearable more subtle and integrated into a person’s image. Perhaps at its extreme, one could integrate the technology into clothing or pre-existing jewelry. Customization allows for individualism, after all. And second, these technologies (particularly the fitness technologies) must have precision—a higher level of precision than we’ve seen out of fitness trackers and bands thus far. Cost needs to match value, and if you’re going to sell the American public on a costly product, then it has to work 100 percent of the time.