What is a tech company?
'A "technology company" is typically defined as an organization that primarily focuses on the development, production, and/or provision of technological products, services, or solutions. Technology companies leverage advancements in science, engineering, and information technology to create innovative and technologically-driven offerings.' "These companies often specialize in areas such as software development, hardware manufacturing, telecommunications, data management, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, internet services, cybersecurity, and other technology-related fields. They may create software applications, build hardware devices, provide IT infrastructure, develop cutting-edge technologies, offer technology consulting services, or deliver digital solutions tailored to specific industries or customer needs."
A company that uses a website, or shopify store uses technology.
It's not, by definition a tech company, just because it uses technology.
Words mean things.
100 x Pasifika launching their own websites doesn't count as 100x Pasifika tech companies, or 100x Pasifika engineers. And anyone quick to fudge these definitions, maybe ask yourself, is this for the "them" or is this for "you"?
Waving a flag that says "We're winning" on it is not the same as actually winning, in the tech space.
Are our people creating and launching technology products and services for the market place? Yes? Awesome, we're winning.
Are our people landing engineering roles in the technology sector in the top tech companies around the world? Yes? Awesome, we're winning.
Are our people starting tech companies that create and sell technology products and services for the market place? Yes? Awesome, we're winning.
"You're gatekeeping!"
Ok, say we adjust the definition of things, to suit us, our sensibilities, what's that really saying about us? That we needed to lower the bar? Change the goal posts? Redefine engineering and the industry standard to match whatever we felt made us more accepted? That to me is just a really insidious way of perpetuating the view (even if held internally, against ourselves) that we aren't good or smart enough to achieve the same level of success in tech.
Opportunity? Yes, we need the opportunity to participate and demonstrate that "yes indeed, we got it", we always did.
But to change the definition to suit us, is some sort of internal racism that sees ourselves as less than others, and needing not the opportunity to shine, but that the bar be lowered to accept we're lower than.
That's it. That's today thought.