How do you know if you're truly interested in tech?
With tech (and consumer tech - iPhones, Social Media, Video/Music Content) becoming such a big thing in daily life, how do you know if you're truly interested in it rather than just being a part of a more tech-focused generation? I mean, you see TMT groups being the more popular, if not the most popular groups in banking. And also more students in general interested in pursuing tech. But I wonder how many of them are truly interested in it?
I've always been hesitant on pursuing tech focused jobs (Tech coverage/Tech M&A/VC/etc) because I would think that I'm not as crazy about it as some other users who have posted on here involved in startups or interned at VCs (Dorm Room), did sophomore internships at Google, part of the M&T Program at Wharton etc. These are the guys that ultimately end up at Benchmark, Silver Lake, KPCB, Coatue, etc. Of course, any of these jobs I would kill for, but I just don't think I can beat out the guys that know the tech field all around.
I have been reading tech websites and have done so for ~7-9 years (Engadget, The Verge, TechCrunch), always been gravitating more towards tech stocks when I look for investment opportunities to add to my portfolio, and seem to be more tech savy than the average college student. I would say I know the fields that I follow pretty well (Major players, trends, strengths, etc). I am a big consumer and follower of things that affect my life like software, hardware, content, but have hardly any interest in Saas, Salesforce, Oracle, etc. I also do not use Twitter or Snapchat surprisingly enough. Does that make me not truly interested in tech? Do the guys at MS Menlo -> Top VC firms enjoy learning about all aspects of the field?
Forgive me if the question sounds convoluted, but was hoping to hear thoughts from anyone involved in the industry. I'm thinking I might have made a mistake by not pursuing this interest because of a worry like this.
I've been a big fan of the technology sector for a while too. I've been reading gadget blogs pre Topolsky's Engadget departure and I've even been fortunate enough to amass a few thousand followers on social media through my tech oriented YouTube channel. If you're interested in tech, you should definitely keep up with the industry. Just make sure you're not wasting your time with sub-par news sources (the AOL blogs and TheVerge aren't the best IMO).
Sorry, not sure why my comment got posted twice.
I've wondered this same thing about myself, and don't have a clear answer either. When you look at VC firms most have partners with different interests and different areas of expertise. I too am more interested in the consumer facing output of new technology but I think this is a pretty small sliver. Most of these people are pretty into the hardcore tech and must be experts in it long before you see the final application on your phone.
This is just a personal opinion, but if you wake up each day and before you even eat breakfast you are already reading about some tech news or a new product development - you might be truly interested in tech. Basically, if you are a functioning human being, by nature you have to be interested in tech, but it is that subconscious feeling that you get when you buy a new phone or try out a new tv - that's when you know you're TRULY interested in tech.
Passion for tech goes beyond just reading techcrunch and trying out new iphones. I think a lot of people nowadays are convinced they have a passion for tech simply because it has become such a dominant part of modern day life. Everyone and their mother wants to get the latest iPad/iPhone/iWatch. Everyone thinks Instagram, Snapchat, and Whatsapp are cool. But that's just cursory, that's not true passion It's like saying because I love watching TV and movies, I would make a good film director or Hollywood producer.
When we interview people at our firm, we always dig deep into this. We ask candidates things like have you tried building your own iOS app? Did you start playing around with Go when it first launched? Are you active on Twitter/Quora? Do you have a blog on Medium/Svtle? If they don't know anything about enterprise it's a huge ding. Even if you do consumer investing, you should know the basics about the big enterprise players and the markets they're in: SaaS, infrastructure, networking, storage, data, etc. If all you're doing is pre ordering the latest iPhone and browsing Recode for 10 mins a day and playing with Snapchat, you're not really passionate about tech. That's my 2 cents.
Thanks a lot for the perspective. I mean, would the average genuine tech enthusiast be on everything? I don't have a instagram, twitter, or snapchat. But I'm on Medium, Quora. I used to install custom ROMs (things like MIUI) on my android phones before Xiaomi got big.
Is it alright to be an expert on one segment of tech (like jss09 pointed out)? Or if you're interested in tech, you should be interested in all aspects of it.
It just seems kinda hard to measure and once someone goes through a tech banking stint for 2 years, they should be able to develop enough industry knowledge to answer basics about the enterprise market.
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