How to Buy Digital Tech: Beware of These Harmful Buying Personas

When you think about researching, shopping, and procuring new technologies, have you ever considered your buying persona?

What about the buying personas of your colleagues, stakeholders, and leaders? 

This is a key question I explore in Episode 27 of 5 Minutes with @NYIke, where I share how NOT to buy new technology.

Impulse Buyers vs. Analysts and Laggards 

CIOs know these personas all too well, especially when working with their CEOs and leaders. Many of them fall into the category of picking technologies out and expecting IT to implement their selections. 

CEOs and non-tech leaders picking new technologies - very often a bad idea and can lead to disastrous results

The approach, more often than not, creates many issues for IT and the business. CEOs and other business stakeholders don't have the time or skills to research the hard questions that separate out whether the tech is a "good fit" for the company's operating model, technology platforms, skill sets, data requirements, service level objectives, compliance factors, and security necessities.

In the video, I share five of the anti-personas in tech selections:

• Gambler - The executive placing big tech bets based on gut and with limited analysis
• Overengineering analyst - That spends too much time analyzing and testing options 
• Tech Laggard - Who waits too long to invest in changes frustrating end-users and customers
• Consensus driver - Who wants everyone to be happy and onboard with a tech selection
• Kid in the candy store - Who likes to buy a lot of tech without planning their rollouts

Chances are, your organization has stakeholders with a mix of these anti-personas. Having a diverse team involved in tech selections can be a good thing, if they follow an agile tech selection, experimentation, and POC process.

Agile Architectures, Tech Selections, and POCs

In the episode, I share the core tenets of StarCIO's program and workshop on agile architectures and tech selections. 

• Very lightweight upfront planning - So that leaders can propose new technologies and focus on the impact and success criteria
• Agile planning - Where teams take on a mix of research, POC, and due-diligence work on technologies being evaluated. 
• Decision deliverables - Agile planning aims to complete agreed upon artifacts that leaders can use to finalize investment decision

Please watch the episode below to learn more, and please reach out to StarCIO if you want to learn more about our programs on agile architecture, technology selections, and POCs.