Jack of all technology, master of none: Review of Siddharth Pai’s Techproof Me

Pai meanders from one idea to another without offering a clear picture of where things are headed

The word ‘technology’ is a combination of two Greek words, techne and logos, which means ‘science of craft’. This science has been in use since prehistoric times when early humans shaped stone tools to control fire during the Early Stone Age.

But in the past few centuries, the word has found a new meaning, primarily influenced by a massive cultural shift during the late 19th century. Industrial revolution moved people from agriculture-related work to finding jobs at factories. This shift altered their relationship with machines and tools as the idea of breaking down large-scale industrial processes into manageable small units was underway. This was commonly known as division of labour, which enabled individual workers to specialise in specific tasks at the factory.

Building on this specialisation model, an American mechanical engineer set out to further improve industrial efficiency with his theory of scientific management. F.W. Taylor’s theory ushered in a new era of bringing labour and capital together.

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This Taylorism is where Siddharth Pai lands in his new book Techproof Me after giving a sketchy overview of the current state of technology in the first few chapters. Before landing there, he shares an approach to understand the changing world of technology, and tells the reader to play the roles of a soldier, an originator, a leader, and an empath (collectively called SOLE) to make the most of technological change within their business or organisation.

‘SOLE’ motive

Each of those roles plays a specific part in helping to get a hang of technology, according to Pai. For instance, a soldier has to understand the inner workings of an organisation; an originator must work on bridging real-world problems with concepts and ideas in technology; a leader has to get an intimate understanding of her organisation; and an empath must be in a position to adapt in a rapidly changing world of technology.