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I think you have to take a brutally honest assessment of how important technology is to your company. By important, I mean, is technology a frequent considerati

I think you have to take a brutally honest assessment of how important technology is to your company. By important, I mean, is technology a frequent consideration in C-level decisionmaking? Is technology directly, or at least closely, tied to revenue? Who is your boss, and to whom does he or she report? What about that person's boss? Where does your group fit into the org structure? These are the indicators that matter. Lots of non-tech companies can talk the talk, or at least make the necessary noises. But check to see where your company's mouth and money are. Don't be fooled by trends, or by your company's current infatuation with any buzzy topic of the moment that happens to play to your strengths. Companies eat up and spit out new trends every quarter. Instead, look to things more fundamental and deeply ingrained: org structures; career tracks (if any) for your function there; the power structure and network of decisionmaking; how the company makes its money; etc. If tech is not really that important to your company, you've got a choice to make. Stick with the company if you want to coast, and perhaps to reach a nicely compensated sinecure within the firm. You can do well for yourself, but you might never really climb the ladder, or attain strategic importance. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that. That's the endgame perhaps 90% of all workers strive for. Leave if you hunger for something more than that. On the other hand, it is certainly possible to become a hot, exotic, and indispensable figure at a non-tech company by being a techie who is sufficiently skilled in the arts of politics and influence. But you will need to master those arts. Technical competence alone, even extreme competence, will be necessary but insufficient.

notahacker 12y ago
Where tech isn't integral to what the company produces it usually can nevertheless significantly boost areas that usually are: "operations" or "marketing". The person who introduces the system that gets customers from Google to the right regional sales rep and can produce neat little charts to prove it works is the sort of person that gets consulted on strategic marketing and sales operations decisions even at the sort of organization that thinks "growth hacking" is a type of computer crime. Ultimately it boils down more to people than positions or market. Do management perceive any ideas you have about tech projects that could improve the company's efficiency or sales as a sign you're a rising star or that they haven't given you enough instructions on how you should be spending your time?
- jonnathanson 12y ago
  Absolutely, but as with anything, what really matters is optics. Who's getting the credit for the innovations you introduce? And are your suggestions going to be taken seriously in the first place? If so, who presents them to leadership? You, or the marketing director who does a trial run and sees the business results? How and when will those results be disseminated, and in front of what audience? You'll have to consider and navigate all of these things. While these are good skills to have in any role, technical or non-technical, they are especially crucial at a company where you're removed from the core line of business. If you're in a technical role at a non-technical company, you need to be an especially strong presenter and "internal salesman" of ideas. Don't assume that because you brought an idea forward, it'll be adopted straight away -- or that when it is adopted, you'll be credited. I'm not saying this out of cynicism per se. I've seen technical people thrive, and even kick ass, in leadership roles at non-technical companies. At the same time, I know that those people are an exception and not a rule. What tends to make them exceptional are their political skills. Corporate America likes, but does not necessarily reward, a workhorse. But it loves, and handsomely rewards, a "Big Idea" person. It's hard to be the Big Ideas guy unless you can hook your ideas into the KPIs your company cares the most about.

notahacker 12y ago

Where tech isn't integral to what the company produces it usually can nevertheless significantly boost areas that usually are: "operations" or "marketing". The person who introduces the system that gets customers from Google to the right regional sales rep and can produce neat little charts to prove it works is the sort of person that gets consulted on strategic marketing and sales operations decisions even at the sort of organization that thinks "growth hacking" is a type of computer crime. Ultimately it boils down more to people than positions or market. Do management perceive any ideas you have about tech projects that could improve the company's efficiency or sales as a sign you're a rising star or that they haven't given you enough instructions on how you should be spending your time?

jonnathanson 12y ago
Absolutely, but as with anything, what really matters is optics. Who's getting the credit for the innovations you introduce? And are your suggestions going to be taken seriously in the first place? If so, who presents them to leadership? You, or the marketing director who does a trial run and sees the business results? How and when will those results be disseminated, and in front of what audience? You'll have to consider and navigate all of these things. While these are good skills to have in any role, technical or non-technical, they are especially crucial at a company where you're removed from the core line of business. If you're in a technical role at a non-technical company, you need to be an especially strong presenter and "internal salesman" of ideas. Don't assume that because you brought an idea forward, it'll be adopted straight away -- or that when it is adopted, you'll be credited. I'm not saying this out of cynicism per se. I've seen technical people thrive, and even kick ass, in leadership roles at non-technical companies. At the same time, I know that those people are an exception and not a rule. What tends to make them exceptional are their political skills. Corporate America likes, but does not necessarily reward, a workhorse. But it loves, and handsomely rewards, a "Big Idea" person. It's hard to be the Big Ideas guy unless you can hook your ideas into the KPIs your company cares the most about.