When Everything Looks Like a Nail: Break Free from One Tool Wonders!
Read Time: 4 Minutes
Welcome Reader to Your Tech Suite's weekly newsletter where we provide news, tips, and guidance on improving the technology posture in your startup or SMB. A holistic technical C-Suite... for the rest of us.
This Week's TLDR
- Explore beyond familiar tools to find better solutions for daily problems.
- Start with a 6-step program to get methodical on how you think about and evaluate new software.
- Leverage your community and collaboration for better evaluation.
- SBF Criminal sentence hits, MFA attacks on the rise, all your AI are belong to us
When Everything Looks Like a Nail: Break Free from One Tool Wonders!
One area of technology I am often asked about concerns a little know program called Microsoft Excel. Many of the questions revolve around a particular issue.
An issue that pops up in other apps like Outlook and is becoming a growing concern in apps like PowerBI as well.
The root issue is how these apps are transforming into proverbial hammers, turning every challenge a user finds into a nail.
Please don't misunderstand, these applications are impressive tools an showcase a remarkable advancement in technology and a certain level of versatility.
But this doesn't mean you or I should be constraining our business processes to a single application; forcing every new requirement through a pre-defined mold.
When you get tunnel vision around an application that's familiar, before you know it your world revolves around a shoe horned process dictated by the limitations of some piece of software.
Its no way to live.
So in an effort to embrace the adage: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I've compiled a roadmap for your next technological need.
Use this process the next time you're looking at Excel thinking... I can make this work!
Your 6-Step Program
- Identify Your Need: Recognizing your need isn't as straightforward as it may seem.
Like you, I've had my fair share of rushed solutions. Not stopping to really understand the problem I was facing. It's a common misstep.
Clearly delineate your need. Look at it from a variety of angles. This exercise might reveal that what you perceived as the need is merely a symptom of a larger issue.
For instance, overwhelmed by meetings and client no-shows, you might impulsively establish a daily reminder task for manual email follow-ups. This approach simply generates additional work and doesn't address the core issue—ensuring client attendance.
- Research Solutions: You have at your fingertips the most expansive knowledge repository the world has ever known.
Use it!
Platforms like Google, Reddit, and social media are invaluable for discovering how others have addressed similar challenges.
You will find a host of solutions aimed at, for example, your client attendance problem. Some of them may be software related and some might even be processes you haven't considered.
Imagine that client attendance notifications can be automated for a consistent feel or a change in process might let you overlay a more personal touch through a VA.
- Compare Solutions: Evaluating various solutions will further refine your understanding of the problem.
Consider factors such as cost, usability, and user experience. Resist the urge to settle on the first option; instead, explore each solution's strengths and weaknesses through online resources.
Again, write things down. Take notes and work through exercises such as utility ranking, opportunity cost analysis, or even a simple pro/con list.
For instance, a pro/con list could help illuminate key differences between the automation software plugin for client attendance and using a service like a VA. High touch/Low touch, cost, and scalability all get teased out and can help you make a decision.
- Experiment, Experiment, Experiment: Avoid fully integrating a new solution into your workflow without thorough testing.
It might seem weird to think about testing something just for yourself, but if you're going to make a commitment, dedicate some time to ensuring the solution solves the problem effortlessly.
I'm here to tell you I live and breath technology and I don't bat a thousand. No one does.
In our running example, maybe you've initially decided on the VA approach because you are enamored with the familiarity of working with someone and the high touch experience the VA brings to your clients.
Unfortunately initial results don't justify the added expense and the client attendance problem is only minimally improved.
Making a change and trying something else is ok!
- Collaboration and Feedback: Engage with others who have utilized the solution. Share your testing experiences and seek advice on possible adjustments or enhancements.
Talk to people in your community or mastermind. Even if they haven't used a particular solution, they may have worked to solve the problem in their own way.
Leverage your network and bug the support team.
For instance, if you're mostly satisfied with an automated solution but find its administrative portal cumbersome, reaching out for support or advice can provide valuable insights. Get their roadmap.
- Implement and Train: Once you've chosen your desired solution, that isn't where the process ends.
Truth is, you didn't become an Excel expert overnight and you won't become an expert on this new solution without proper time dedicated to training up and building a skillset.
Schedule time to focus on the new solution and how you're going to interact with it.
If you have a team, make sure you provide them time as well. Empower them to explore the solution and leverage all of the features and functions.
And there you have it. A simple approach to making the most out of your current solutions and solutions in your future. Don't waste time trying to do everything in a single application.
There is no one app to rule them all.
Take advantage of the creative and inventive people out there who have designed and built amazing products that can level up your day.
Remember, when your only tool is a hammer (or excel), every problem looks like a nail (or spreadsheet).
News
Yes, generative AI is here, its not leaving and it will be dominating the news as it further advances. If you like Gen AI, good news, your Android phones with just 8GB of RAM will get to experience Google's Gemini Nano. Smile, your AI overlords are watching!
MFA bombing attacks are on the rise. The newest iteration of this is targeting Apple users. The goal, fatigue you into making a mistake. Stay vigilant!
There was a time when Sam Bankman-Fried didn't look like a goblin, back when life was good and he was milking billions. Well, SBF had his sentence come down this week, 25 years in prison. An interesting contrast. Ross Ulbricht, SilkRoad website maker, is serving 2 life sentences for making the SilkRoad. I appreciate the US judicial systems consistency in being inconsistent.
YTS Weekly Recommendation
Microsoft is putting together a killer platform for end to end data. A bandwagon you don't want to miss. Curious, reach out to the YTS team for more info!
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