3 ms·

Wait... if Garmin isn't a tech company... what is? I'm so confused.

temp0826 3y ago
Maybe the logic is, they're a GIS company that happens to use a lot of tech. (This is sort of how I thought of it when I worked at a LA media company- we have hundreds of transcoders, gobs of storage, distribution via satellite and other means, but the software wasn't much more than hacked-together glue with fancy buzzword names that sales spouted to prospective clients. We were a media company that happened to need a lot of tech).
- im_down_w_otp 3y ago
  Sure, I can get behind that. However, it's the other side of the coin that I still don't get. What would count as a tech company? Even AWS is just a rental company or private utility when you strip away, "happens to need a lot of tech".
  - temp0826 3y ago
    I mean I would say it is. Are engineers not the bulk of AWS employees? But I do see your point..."tech industry" maybe doesn't make sense as a description anymore.
the__alchemist 3y ago
There's a 4-example definition of the article, which aligns with the context it's used in on HN often: VC-funded SAAS or web-service-hosting. I thought about this one and did a dive a few weeks ago when someone I met at a coffee shop asked me if I work in tech.
oh_my_goodness 3y ago
This is the new definition of "tech," which basically means storefronts and social media.
throw__away7391 3y ago
If you make and sell paper, you're a paper company. If you make and sell cars, you're a car company. If you make and sell software, you're a software company. If you happen to use paper in your company and send printed advertising to customers, but you actually rent vacations homes, you're not a paper company. Even if paper is a hot new industry and companies that sell paper are receiving high valuations, you are still not a paper company. Even if you buy a ton more printers than you need and really produce a lot of paper internally and go to paper conferences and talk about how much paper you use, you are still not a paper company.
- im_down_w_otp 3y ago
  Hmmm. I tell people I work in "tech" and founded a "tech" company. We make software for testing complex systems (robots, cars, satellites, etc.) and constructing a model of their behavior to hunt for edge cases, help diagnose field issues, etc. (see: www.auxon.io) It's not a SaaS, it's not a web service thing. Do we count as "tech" in the modern parlance?
  - throw__away7391 3y ago
    Why the confusion? My point is that this determination is quite simple and by your description it sounds like you sell software.

Maybe the logic is, they're a GIS company that happens to use a lot of tech. (This is sort of how I thought of it when I worked at a LA media company- we have hundreds of transcoders, gobs of storage, distribution via satellite and other means, but the software wasn't much more than hacked-together glue with fancy buzzword names that sales spouted to prospective clients. We were a media company that happened to need a lot of tech).

im_down_w_otp 3y ago
Sure, I can get behind that. However, it's the other side of the coin that I still don't get. What would count as a tech company? Even AWS is just a rental company or private utility when you strip away, "happens to need a lot of tech".
- temp0826 3y ago
  I mean I would say it is. Are engineers not the bulk of AWS employees? But I do see your point..."tech industry" maybe doesn't make sense as a description anymore.

the__alchemist 3y ago

There's a 4-example definition of the article, which aligns with the context it's used in on HN often: VC-funded SAAS or web-service-hosting. I thought about this one and did a dive a few weeks ago when someone I met at a coffee shop asked me if I work in tech.

oh_my_goodness 3y ago

This is the new definition of "tech," which basically means storefronts and social media.

throw__away7391 3y ago

If you make and sell paper, you're a paper company. If you make and sell cars, you're a car company. If you make and sell software, you're a software company. If you happen to use paper in your company and send printed advertising to customers, but you actually rent vacations homes, you're not a paper company. Even if paper is a hot new industry and companies that sell paper are receiving high valuations, you are still not a paper company. Even if you buy a ton more printers than you need and really produce a lot of paper internally and go to paper conferences and talk about how much paper you use, you are still not a paper company.

im_down_w_otp 3y ago
Hmmm. I tell people I work in "tech" and founded a "tech" company. We make software for testing complex systems (robots, cars, satellites, etc.) and constructing a model of their behavior to hunt for edge cases, help diagnose field issues, etc. (see: www.auxon.io) It's not a SaaS, it's not a web service thing. Do we count as "tech" in the modern parlance?
- throw__away7391 3y ago
  Why the confusion? My point is that this determination is quite simple and by your description it sounds like you sell software.