Beauty in Code 2019, 5 of 6 — Nyari Samushonga: "A Seat at the Table"

Beauty in Code 2019 was a single-track full day IT-conference organized by Living IT, featuring six amazing speakers from three continents. It was hosted at the Malmö Live conference center on March 2, 2019. Session 5 of 6 by Nyari Samushonga (@nyarisam) "A Seat at the Table" Technology is taking an increasingly central role in the structure and reach of businesses. From its less prominent past as a rarely-noticeable cost centre buried in basements and maligned by those skeptical of its value contribution, the exponential increase in digital connectivity has moved it to its current position: a front-and centre disruptor, enabler and differentiator of modern day commerce. This shift cuts across all industries: regardless of the nature of your business, chances are you are in the technology business. The superpowers of digitisation have given those that build this new ecosystem a seat at almost every decision-making table as first-class citizens, adorned with all the rights and rewards that accrue to business leaders. But as we all know, with great privilege comes great responsibility. Are we, as an industry, reciprocating business' shift towards technology with a commensurate embrace of the complex learning curve we must undertake to understand the fundamentals of running a business? Do we fully understand the business contexts in which our superpowers are deployed? Beauty in code without responsibility in business is a waste.