We’re sold the idea that human and technological progress is linear. Where we are now is always an advance on where we were before. As a result, it’s easy to write the past off as being intellectually or developmentally inferior. But in truth, the past, with its wealth of human endeavor, is a great source of discovery. Chances are your next great solution lies in ideas that have come before, not in some promise of tomorrow.
Yes, looking to the future makes us feel excited: something new, something innovative, something we can learn that no one else knows. We can be pioneers. We can all get caught up chasing that aspirational version of ourselves.
But beware of shiny object syndrome. Just because something’s new doesn’t mean it’s better. Of course, there are innovations. The pace of technological development has continued to accelerate and computer technology is developing faster than we can keep up with. But that doesn’t mean every new technology is a good fit for our problems.
When faced with a problem, we should actively look to the past. There’s a very good chance that someone will have solved a very similar problem once. Or we might find there’s an established, tried and tested technology that does exactly what we need. It might not be glamorous or cutting-edge, but place your confidence in the outcome. If it solves the problem and mitigates risk, it’s a win.
We’re not suggesting the next finance system you write should be done in COBOL, or that you start sending faxes. But these are fantastically successful technologies that we can learn from. Their pitfalls and the limitations are just as valuable.
When we choose cutting-edge technology, we pick something that is cutting-edge now. What happens when the next cutting-edge thing comes out? What happens to our systems? Who supports them? Who enhances them? We need to think very carefully before we adopt new technologies. Not to say we shouldn’t do it. Far from it. But we need to make sure we can adopt them in a way that delivers benefit and manages risk.
Better to develop the confidence to solve problems using technology that gets the job done, no matter its cutting-edge clout or release date: whether it’s a piece of paper, or a quantum computer. By picking the tools that truly fit, we demonstrate a painstaking understanding of the problem.