One of the biggest misconceptions about the tech industry is that you have to be technical to be employed. Being technically proficient is usually associated with someone in a developing role or with some knowledge of code base. While engineers and developers compose the backbone of the tech industry, there are other essential roles that every company must fill. Some of these roles include marketing/advertising, product development and business development/sales.
There are a plethora of reasons why a nontechnical person would be interested in working in the tech industry. Technology is constantly evolving in both form and function. As society has become dependent upon technology and its upgrades, openings for employees in this industry are continuously increasing. Beyond job positions, technology provides the ability to discover, create and invent in alternative dimensions and realities. Opportunities through and on the internet are at an ultimate high. The tech space invites unlimited and unconfined imagination and offers the ability to develop implementations to alter and facilitate the future.
Three examples of nontechnical people who have greatly succeeded in the tech industry are Katrina Lake, Brian Halligan and Sean Rad. Katrina Lake is the CEO and founder of Stitch Fix. With a background and training in business, Katrina was able to create a subscription-based fashion service valued just under $3 billion. Brian Halligan is the CEO and cofounder of HubSpot, an in-bound marketing and sales software company. (Full disclosure: My company has used the HubSpot CRM.) As a two-time coauthor, Brian's area of expertise is writing and marketing, not software. Lastly, Sean Rad is a founder and former CEO of Tinder. Tinder is a location-based dating app that now has over 4 million users. Often said to have a net worth of over $1 billion, Sean Rad does not specialize in technology, as he earned a degree in business. Many world-renowned software applications and technologies were not founded by technical people.
However, beyond needing a tech team, these founders and CEOs needed lots of support and staff on all cylinders to advance their companies to their current stages. Imagine a tech startup that just invented a new mobile app. This app may be the coolest and savviest invention since sliced bread — but only the team’s few staff members know about their invention. So, how do they raise public awareness for their app?
That’s where the marketing team comes in. Marketing teams can be composed of a variety of roles and positions. Marketing strategies can be indirect or direct. Some examples of indirect marketing include coupons, flyers, blogging and social media. Direct marketing consists of emailing, telemarketing, physical mailings, commercials, infomercials and more. A company does not simply get discovered; they must be able to be found. People in marketing positions are responsible for spreading the word, designing the website and so on. Marketers do not have to know how to design and customize their own mobile app to know what it is and how to promote it.
Continuing with this analogy, let’s say that this new mobile app is really great, but it would be a lot more popular in another country or with a different feature. Well, the engineers know how to implement the feature, and the marketing team knows how to advertise it, but how do they know which changes to make or that their product would be more successful in another country?
That is the responsibility of product developers. Product developers conduct market research, study production methods and pricing, monitor and manage inventory and analyze data to create a development strategy. The product developer does not have to know how to change the features on the app to know that changes would be more beneficial in a specific market or location. Someone with no technical training can analyze data and conduct research. Many financial analysts and scientists excel in this position with no technical experience.
So, engineers design and construct the product, product managers research how to most effectively sell this app and the marketing team promotes it. But what happens if the marketing and advertising material is not reaching anyone who will specifically benefit from this product?
That’s where the business development and sales teams come into play. Business development representatives are often in charge of direct and targeted outreach, specifically to find potential clients and customers. Business development often entails generating leads and referrals. The goal for business developers is to grow the company’s network. The sales team has a similar purpose. However, beyond building a relationship or connections with potential customers or clients, a successful sales team also closes the deal. To be effective in a sales role, the sales team has to sell. Whether offering a product or service, the company needs to have people who pay for whatever they are offering. While business development and sales representatives for a mobile app startup would have to be familiar with what they are trying to sell, they do not need to know how to customize the software behind the product. A business development and sales team is essential for any company looking to keep a steady customer/clientele base as well as consistent income.
As described, there are many critical nontechnical roles that tech companies need in order to succeed as well-rounded businesses. With a little bit of eagerness to understand some technical concepts, nontechnical people with the ability to communicate and any variety of skill sets can thrive in this industry. The tech industry needs marketers, product developers and business developers/sales team members just as much as any other industries do. Since technology is always changing, some tech companies have an even higher demand for these roles than other industries.
2019-09-17 12:30:00Z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2019/09/17/three-ways-to-break-into-tech-as-a-non-developer/
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