When the tech doesn't matter

It is easy to fall into the thinking that tech can solve every problem. In reality, for some problems it is best applied as a supporting actor. This has been one of the biggest takeaways of the year for me.

I work for a personal fitness startup that specializes in daily, remote personal training. Clients sign up for our platform and are matched with a coach who is tailored to their background and wellness goals.

The UI/UX of both our client-facing and coach-facing apps are admittedly pretty bad. During product prioritization meetings, it never seemed like improving the UI/UX got the time of day it deserved. This drove me crazy until I could accept that we are solving a problem where the underlying tech matters very little.

Our primary goal is to help clients achieve their wellness goals through developing deep relationships with their coaches. The crux of it comes down to solving for the human factor and driving meaningful communication. Our CEO sees the role of technology in our product as enhancing the human connection and not replacing it through slick UIs and automation.

Despite being a tech company, our underlying technology does not matter much so long as it does not hinder the ability for clients and coaches to form meaningful relationships. It is easy to fall into the thinking that tech can solve every problem. In reality, for some problems it is best applied as a supporting actor.

As someone who has a tendency to try to build my way out of any problem, this has been a key lesson to learn. The lesson has forced me to evaluate if there is alignment between a problem I am trying solve and the solution I am reaching for. The realization has allowed me to adopt non-technical solutions that I would have ignored in the past that can drive the same impact with less effort. And that is a major win.