On being a builder and enabling builders

Thoughts for a Technologist: Issue #5

Hi everyone,

I've been mulling over some thoughts lately, and I'm excited to finally put them into words. In this essay, I'll share my reflections, what I’m currently reading, and what I’ve been working on. I'd love to hear what you think, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kind Regards,

Nkechi

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Not every technologist is a builder

I’ve come to realise that not every technologist possesses the mindset of a builder.

The awareness of a distinction has helped me reflect on the type of technologist I want to become. This is important because I now know that there are other mindsets I could unintentionally slip into.

In my view, what distinguishes a builder is the presence of a cocktail of curiosity, agency, a willingness to get stuck in, and a willingness to return, even when things get difficult. It’s a mindset which contributes to a continuous progression towards a definite future. These are traits I’m starting to recognise, admire and intentionally nurture in myself.

The builder as a Definite Optimist

“Definite optimism works when you build the future you envision”

The above quote is from the book “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future”, by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters.

I consider the builder to be a definite optimist. The builder sees a problem, thinks of a solution, and decides to go after it, challenges notwithstanding. Builders see the potential of a better future and make definite steps towards bringing it into reality.

I consider myself to be a builder-technologist / definite optimist. I believe very much in the power of technology to improve the way we interact with the world and with one another, and I want to somehow contribute towards bringing this into being. I don’t believe we have to be stuck with the current systems or inequalities we might have. There’s so much good that can happen, so many problems waiting to be solved, but nothing will change until we willingly apply ourselves to creating that change.

We’ve all got ideas

Last week I hosted Jermaine, a technologist leveraging collective philanthropy to fund projects in Africa¹. He spoke about how he transformed a simple desire for change into a platform that has deployed over £100k into these local-led projects.²

I wanted to share this story with other people who found this fascinating and had ideas they wanted to bring into the world. During the session, we ran the below poll to get a sense of where everyone was as a technologist. It was interesting to see that most of the technologists in the session were “just curious” or “had an idea”. It made me wonder, what would inspire them to move into action?

Poll showing the split of technologists from a “Conversations with Technologist” session I hosted last week

Days before that, I had the pleasure of gathering with seven women over light refreshments to discuss AI. It was inspiring to meet such inquisitive women, each with her own strong opinions, fears, and beliefs, all driven by a common goal of creating something meaningful. As we exchanged ideas, we voiced our discontent with existing systems and expressed a collective desire for change. Throughout our discussion, one thing became abundantly clear: whether by taking action ourselves or by empowering others to do so, creating this change began with us.

If we envision a brighter future, we must actively build it. While it may seem like a daunting task, I believe a crucial first step is to encourage people and empower them with the agency and awareness that they can create the solutions they want to see in the world. The remarkable thing is that the mindset of a builder isn’t confined to technical technologists like software engineers. By spreading this mindset, I believe we can inspire more people to become builders.

Questions I’m asking myself

Three questions emerged as I gained clarity through writing this essay:

• How do I enable more people to understand that they have the ability to create what they want to see in the world?

• How do I remain more of a builder-technologist, when that is more true to myself?

  • It seems that one way is to develop a bias to action. Start things and iterate. Have an idea, test it out. It works? Great. It doesn’t? Pivot. Still great.

• How do I make sure that being a builder remains fun, exciting?

  • This is important because if it feels like pulling teeth, it’s not going to be sustainable or creative

What I’ve been reading

1. Molly Mielke
   of
   Moth Fund
   has an interesting way of classifying technologists: hackers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. This classification has come from her experience as an investor, helping her decide the sort of person she wants to invest in.

   the lost charisma of capitalism

   I’d supplement my current “builder / not a builder” binary with her classification. This additional perspective recognises that builders can manifest in various archetypes, which is a valuable insight for forming a team and understanding individual strengths.

2. “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters - Understanding the philosophy of the “Definite Optimist” helped give more language to the “builder / not a builder” binary I had become aware of.

3. Quote: “Earlier this year I felt a little manic and anxious. I can do everything! What do I do? More recently my mind is quiet and clear. I can only do a few things. What do I choose?”

   This quote by

   Nix 🕊
   came to me in a similar period of frenzy. I’m looking forward to what I choose and the clarity it brings.

   what's a good commitment?

What I’ve been working on

• I recently started learning React to expand the functionality of my Kitchen Inventory app to include a user interface. Since then, I’ve deployed both the frontend and backend on Vercel, and I’m working on connecting the two to have a working full-stack app - hurray, progress!

• I’m currently brainstorming sustainable ways to continue using PivoTech.io to enable agency in other multidisciplinary technologists, encouraging them to be the change they wish to see.

• I’ve been connecting with other builder-technologists and potential collaborators over Google Meet, drinks, dinner and most recently, bowling! It’s been really fun and I’m grateful for these interactions.

I hope you enjoyed this essay. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading, working on, or thoughts from this essay. I look forward to speaking!

1. Visit Kwanda.co for more information.

2. Leave a comment or message me if you’d like a link to the replay of the session with Jermaine.