Staying updated with tech bytes

Do you often feel out of place when others in your team discuss the latest technical trends or tools in market? Do you always hear about new technologies & business information via colleagues & feel silly about not knowing them? Do you also want to stay upbeat with such informations & have some conversation starters? Then you have come to the right place.

Its simple... For staying updated with world news we read newspapers or watch news channels on TV. Similarly there are many available forums online & offline which can keep you informed on the latest in the tech world. There are business news in papers as well that sometimes talk about new innovations in the technical world. We all know that technical innovations & rising business go hand in hand. To help your organisation be a trendsetter & be connected to the real world we need to be aware of the recent tech trends first.

A very real world example of an organisation that failed due to obsolete technology is Nokia. With a history dating back to 1865, Nokia had climbed its way up from being a paper manufacturer to one of the best telecommunications companies in the world. It was a pioneer in Indian markets when there were not many handset options available. Nokia was the most sold mobile phone & still known for its reliability. What went wrong is when the whole world understood the revolution that smartphones were gonna bring, Nokia underestimated the power of software in the mobile market.

Nokia’s failure started when it decided not to adapt and embrace change. 

Thus its very crucial to stay updated with the latest tech trends to stay in the league.

How can we stay aware of such technical industry updates?

To remain competitive in your industry and continue to grow your skill set, it's crucial to make staying informed a priority. There are several ways that will help you achieve that:

• An Informed circle: Have a set of friends or colleagues that talk about growth & are like minded professionals. You may even meet such people by joining community forums & attending technical seminars on topics that pike your interest.

If you are the smartest person in a room, You're in the wrong room!

• Imbibe from the best: Find out about the top researchers & innovators in your field & follow them socially. Read about what they are doing & which tools/tech they think of as relevant in the upcoming future. Pay attention to the topics they're discussing, and look for ways to incorporate their ideas into your own work.
• Social media: Social media is not just crucial for creative outlet, we can also leverage several mediums for technical knowledge for eg. Podcasts, technical newsletters on LinkedIn, following relevant blogs & publications, reading books on relevant technologies.
• Embrace Online Learning: Take advantage of online courses and training programs to expand your skill set and stay up to date with the latest tools and technologies. Platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Udemy offer a wealth of courses on everything from programming languages to artificial intelligence.
• Experiment: Don't be afraid to try new tools and technologies. Set up a sandbox environment where you can test out new software and tools without risking your production systems. Experimentation can help you gain hands-on experience and build your expertise.

Hope these tips would help you in getting more informed on the latest tech bytes & topics of interest for your work.

Some examples newsletters & podcasts to follow as below:

Podcasts: Engineering Heroes, 99% Invisible, Cautionary Tales ,Engineering Reimagined

Newsletters: Bizarro Devs, TLDR, The Download, Exponential View

Let me know how this was useful for you & drop in the comments what you would like to read about next.