Chapter 8. Technical Skills

The Search for the Next Hot Technology

Inevitably, the most pressing question heard from technology professionals is this: What is the next big thing?

The pressure of ensuring your relevance in a career that seems to be in a constant state of change can be daunting. To reduce this pressure, you must develop skills of transcendent value.

However, key concepts are available to assist the technologists in both identifying and learning the "next big thing," greatly reducing the stress. This chapter identifies some strategies to help you quickly adopt new technology.

Your ability to produce great technical solutions is critical. The brick and mortar types of skills gleaned from study and application of books are ones you will spend the majority of your time developing and using. However, in one sense, I feel the need to de-emphasize them.

In fact, as you read this chapter, you might sense that I am taking something valuable away from you. You might feel some anxiety and even anger. I'll make this promise to you: If you track with me in this chapter, you will find that I make a fair trade.

If you have hinged your career solely on your technical abilities, then yes, I will be taking something away. In its place, I will leave a solid understanding of the importance of technology talent. In fact, I will leave you with an understanding of how to more quickly adopt and learn new technical skills.