As a Chief Technology Officer (CTO), you can’t sit back and wait for trends to become fully established before diving in and learning about them.
The only way to position your company in a competitive light is to form a habit of constantly staying connected to the latest developments at all times.
3 Ways CTOs Stay Connected and Informed
People often look at CTOs and assume that because they’re at the top, they don’t have to put in much work or effort to stay in the know. But little do they know that the higher you climb in this industry, the more demanding things get.
Not only do you need to stay aware of what’s happening in the larger tech space, but you have to become familiar with all the niche trends and sub-trends (lest you get left in the dark on an important development).
Having said all of that, knowing you need to stay connected and actually knowing how to do it are two very different things. Here are three specific ways that top CTOs stay informed:
1. Industry Publications
The first thing you can (and should) do is subscribe to relevant industry publications and periodicals. This may include physical magazines and print newsletters, weekly email digests, membership websites, etc. You could even include top podcasts and YouTube channels in this category.
The idea here is to get a steady drip of information and insights from these sources, month after month. Over time, you’ll be able to separate fleeting trends from the actual movements in the industry. You’ll become adept at seeing what direction the industry is going as a whole, which allows you to properly align your business.
2. Networking and Mentorship Groups
While industry publications are an important source of information, they aren’t the only sources. It’s hard to ask a publication a question or engage in meaningful two-way dialogue. For that, you’ll need networking and mentorship groups.
Groups like 7CTOs give CTOs access to coaching and peer groups that make it easy to always be “in the know” when it comes to the latest tech and cybersecurity trends. Rather than working in your own silo to address the latest problems or developments in your space, you can meet with others who are in a similar situation to find new solutions and get unstuck. One meeting every few weeks could potentially save you hundreds of hours in wasted time. You can think of it as your own way of keeping a finger on the pulse of the industry.
3. Online Tech Hangouts
In addition to meeting with your peers in a mentorship or peer coaching environment, there are also lots of opportunities for engaging with people and trends online. The key is to go where your peers are congregating. And, believe it or not, it might not be the places you think.
Some of the best online tech hangouts include subreddits and message boards. You’ll have to do some research to identify which ones are right for you and your niche, but there are plenty of them.
The Latest Tech Trends of 2022
As a CTO, you have to dedicate considerable time on a weekly basis to networking, mentorship, education, reading, and listening. And while there’s no replacement for the investments mentioned above, here’s a very brief look at some of the top tech trends that you need to be aware of in 2022 and beyond:
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Cybersecurity - As the cyber landscape becomes more hostile, cybersecurity is no longer a fringe expense or investment. It has to be at the very core of your strategy.
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Low-code development - By 2024, Gartner is predicting that more than 65 percent of application development activity will actually be directed by low-code development. That makes it one of the most interesting and relevant trends of the year.
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End-user experience - Everything is about UX these days. If you study the top CTOs of this era, they’re all about developing highly functional tools that improve UX at every level.
Stay on the Bleeding Edge
As a CTO, you’re no longer the one on the ground floor setting up servers, fiddling with wires, or developing applications. You’re now the one guiding the boat and choosing where and when to turn.
If you’re not on the bleeding edge, how can you navigate with accuracy? Use the tips highlighted in this article to get ahead.