I market technology for a living. Most customers don’t care about the technology.
I realise that sounds odd coming from someone whose job is literally to market technology.
I’ve spent years talking about cyber security, cloud services, Microsoft 365, AI, digital transformation and managed services. It’s an industry I genuinely enjoy being part of. But the longer I spend speaking to business leaders, the more I’ve realised something: most customers don’t care about the technology itself. They care about what it helps them achieve.
I’ve never sat in a meeting with a senior leader and heard them say: “Our biggest priority this year is better technology.” They talk about growth. Attracting and retaining good people. Improving customer experiences. Reducing risk. Getting more from the resources they already have.
Technology enters the conversation because it can help make those things happen. That’s an important distinction. And one I think our industry sometimes forgets.
The lift test
Think about a lift in an office building. It’s important. In many buildings, it’s essential. But nobody walks into work talking about the lift. They simply expect it to work. The lift isn’t the reason they’re there. It helps them get where they need to go.
I see a parallel with workplace technology. When it works well, people don’t spend their day thinking about networks, infrastructure or platforms. They get on with serving customers, supporting residents, delivering projects, advising clients or growing the organisation.
The technology fades into the background. That’s not a sign that it doesn’t matter. Quite the opposite. Often, it’s a sign that it’s doing exactly what it should.
AI is exposing the issue
AI might be the clearest example I’ve seen of what happens when we start with the technology rather than the outcome. With so many options available, it’s tempting to begin by asking which tool to buy, which licences people need or which platform is best. Those questions matter. But I’d argue they should come later.
Start with:
“Where are people losing time?”
“Which tasks cause unnecessary frustration?”
“What work could be streamlined?”
“Where could people spend more time on work that actually creates value?”
The organisations that get meaningful results from AI won’t do so simply because they’ve adopted AI. They’ll do it because they’ve identified a problem worth solving or an opportunity worth pursuing. The technology supports the outcome. It isn’t the outcome.
What should we expect from a technology partner?
The same thinking should apply to the relationship organisations have with their technology providers. If your technology provider spends more time talking about its stack than your business, I’d argue something has gone wrong.
Yes, technical expertise matters. Of course it does. But so does understanding what the organisation is actually trying to achieve.
For a law firm or consultancy, it could mean removing the small technology frustrations that, multiplied across hundreds of people, eat into valuable time.
For a housing association or not-for-profit, it might mean helping already stretched teams spend less time battling systems and more time supporting the people who rely on them.
For a hospitality business, that might mean making sure technology doesn’t get in the way of a busy Saturday night or the opening of a new site.
Different organisations. Different pressures. The principle is the same. The conversations that matter most aren’t always technical. They’re commercial, operational and, very human. “Can people work more effectively?” “Can we reduce unnecessary friction?” “Can we make better use of the resources we already have?” “Can the organisation grow without adding more complexity?”
Those are the conversations worth having.
The real measure of success
Technology projects are often judged on whether they were delivered on time and on budget. That matters, but it’s only part of the story.
The more interesting questions come afterwards. “Did anything actually improve?” “Did people get time back?” “Did risk reduce?” “Did customers benefit?” “Did the organisation become easier to run?”
Because a technically brilliant project that changes very little for the organisation isn’t much of a success. We should measure technology not just by what was implemented, but by what changed because of it.
Technology matters. Outcomes matter more.
I believe technology has enormous potential to improve organisations. I wouldn’t have spent years marketing it if I didn’t. But I’ve also learned that customers rarely invest in software, infrastructure or cloud platforms simply because they want more technology.
People don’t buy technology because they want more technology. They want their people to work better. Their customers to have better experiences. Their organisations to be more resilient. Their growth to be easier, not harder. Technology helps make those things possible.
So perhaps saying customers don’t care about technology isn’t quite right. They care enormously about what happens because of it.
FAQs
Why do businesses invest in technology?
Businesses invest in technology to improve productivity, reduce risk, support growth and deliver better customer experiences. Technology is the enabler, not the end goal.
Why should technology projects be measured by outcomes?
Success should be measured by business impact, such as time saved, risk reduced, improved employee experience or better customer outcomes, rather than implementation alone.
What should organisations expect from a technology partner?
A technology partner should understand business objectives as well as technical requirements, helping organisations achieve meaningful outcomes rather than simply deploying technology.