Good tech, bad tech

Influential people in business share how technology has changed their lives, for the better

Technology often gets a bad rap for the effect it is having on our wellbeing – just look at the Netflix series Black Mirror. If you paid attention to the reports, you might think devices are only transforming us in the worst kind of ways. We’re addicted to our screens and the dopamine hit that comes from each like or comment, the details of our lives being displayed online is making us increasingly anxious, invisible algorithms are swaying our opinions to become more polarised, and on top of all that, tech is making us more isolated and less social than ever. But for all the problems that have arisen, technology is also a medium that can spark magic. For some, it’s helped lessen their impact on the environment. For others, it’s helped them broadcast their ideas to the world. We reached out to a range of people in business and asked them to share how technology has rewired their lives, for the better.

Jenene Crossan, What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

My e-bike has made me a better human. Not only has it taken me off the road (I no longer own a car), so I like to think I’m part of the solution, not the problem (remember you’re not “in traffic” you “are traffic”!), but it also has given me a huge boost in energy, creativity and perspective. After an hour on my bike, I’ve usually solved a number of the problems of the world for myself and my team!

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

You could easily argue that technology transformed my life. It enabled me a space and place to express who

I am and connect with others and appreciate the place and purpose

I can or do have in the world. The connectivity that freedom of true expression can have, by opening up to people online, has meant by telling my story I’ve not only been able to help myself, but others too, who have needed to hear that story in that moment. And vice versa. Whilst some argue that technology may have ruined our ability to communicate in real life, I actually feel that without it I would never have had the ability or opportunity to reach areas and people who otherwise would not be in my immediate world. It has exposed me to new ideas, frames of references and inspiration.

founder of Simplicity What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

Freakonomics, Planet Money and TED apps. So much inspiration and wisdom as I drive, fly and walk anywhere. I’m addicted to them.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

If Simplicity turns out to be transformational (and we’ve made a good start), it was technology that made it happen. Amazon Web Services, app development tools and the internet has made it relatively easy to reach customers directly, and not have to jump over distribution moats of old, like branches and commission based sales teams. And technology will reduce costs in our industry even more dramatically over time. We’re aiming for a 90 percent reduction over the next decade.

CEO of Icehouse Ventures What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

I’m pretty stoked with solar at the moment. The tech has come so far and the cost is plummeting. Our house now operates 100 percent on power from the sun.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

I want to give a big shout-out to the New Zealand entrepreneurs in our community doing transformational things with technology. Notably: regrowing human skin for burn victims (Upside Biotechnologies), using bugs to extract gold from micro-organisms (Mint Innovation) and creating valuable products from waste plastic. It’s hard not to be optimistic about our future when you see first-hand how they are applying technology to solve real-world problems.

CEO of Springload What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

There are so many! From a productivity perspective, there are heaps of different tools that help me keep track of all the things in my brain.

Right now though, something that’s helping make me a better human is an app called Centr. It’s a daily exercise, food and wellness app. I hate going to the gym, so I can use this to exercise from home in a variety of ways – from yoga, to weights, to cardio. And it’s got good mindfulness and recipe ideas too. Perfect!

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

I’m just loving Goalscape at the moment. It’s a web app that helps you visualise all your goals, and your progress towards them, in one circular and holistic view. I’ve used this as a way to visualise and prioritise my personal goals, but it’s been even more of a help towards visualising the goals of my business, Springload. We’ve got four strategic pillars, so this has been a great way to visualise each pillar, all the different sub-goals, and then see progress against them at both a micro and macro level. The only down side is that it requires Flash to use, although I think they’re working on upgrading it as we speak.

co-founder of Wrestler What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

I think that Instagram and messenger has been great to keep me in contact with people that I would never have kept in contact with if they didn’t exist. So in that way, it’s helped me have more friends, and be a better friend! The other tech that has helped me would be VR headsets and Unreal engine. They’ve helped me to connect with my body and mind more through an interactive experience we’re developing about connecting the body and the mind. VR can be really disconnecting from the body and the mind, so it’s about trying to achieve the opposite and we’re really close!

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

Unreal has helped us to re-invent a new pipeline for content that’s meant we can create a world and push it to whatever platform we think is needed way cheaper and faster than before, with amazing results. We’re developing a kids show that’s built all in engine and from the build we can create an immersive VR interaction, an AR game, mobile game, PC game and a five minute pilot episode. NZFC helped fund the R&D of this with their interactive development fund and it’s been super successful. What’s also

transformative about Unreal is its free to develop on so as long as you can get access to a computer. Learning (through YouTube tutorials) and building (in Unreal) this way is free.

David Hallett, director of Company-X What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

No particular technology per se has made me a better human, but Under Armour’s App MyFitnessPal has certainly contributed to making me a healthier human. MyFitnessPal is the smartphone app I use for tracking both my diet and exercise to assist with achieving my optimal caloric and nutrient intake. The app enables me to set goals and uses gamification elements to motivate behaviour. To capture calorie and nutrients details, I either scan the barcode on packaged food or manually select items from their database of over five million different foods. In my occupation I attend a lot of social events and have delicious business lunches, constantly tempting me to overindulge. Hence with a ‘fitness pal’ by my side throughout the day, it has helped me to proactively make good diet and health-related decisions. This assists in the overarching improvement in my physical and mental wellbeing.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

I’m one of the co-founders of the The NZ Startup Bootcamp. It is New Zealand’s largest business start-up competition, and was developed to encourage ambitious people to take their innovative ideas and turn them into a business reality whilst participating in a fastpaced entrepreneurial weekend. Technology underpins all aspects of the bootcamp, starting from social media used to promote and advertise, the entry videos received from the applicants, communication apps used for sending emails and making video calls during market validation, business intelligence and modelling tools for analysing copious amounts of relevant data, through to the collaboration tools used for creating their entries, and the tech utilised onstage during their final pitches. Through this process, the lives of many participants are completely and truly transformed, by creating or nurturing belief in themselves and their capabilities that are desired and have a place in our modern world.

Robett Hollis, Aranui Ventures founder What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

Better for the head? Notes app. Being able to instantly document my thoughts, feelings and ideas to mentally unload in the moment has been huge for me in clearly mental bandwidth. Knowing it’s there and safe makes me feels no IP is lost and I won’t lose sleep. Better for the heart? Tracking my weight and health has been a huge one for me over the past six years as I ‘try’ to stay fit. Better for the soul? The Muse app and headband. Real-time tracking and feedback of your brain waves for meditation. Forced alone time and practising focus like this has really help me. Better for the ears? Bluetooth Headphones for hip hop.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

The shift from dial-up to broadband internet speeds that allowed us to create the world’s first same day turnaround action sports web video series. And overall, the fact that you can now run an entire business with only a cell phone and no office totally blows me away, because business life was a LOT different 10 years ago. So essentially, the smartphone changed the ENTIRE game both personally and professionally for all.

Cassie Roma, head of content marketing at The Warehouse Group What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

I really don’t remember a time in my when technology didn’t play some kid of part in my day-today life. I remember sitting the back of a revamped yellow school bus that was full to the gills with small children and computers learning how to type ‘properly’ and being more concerned with why I needed to learn to type. To that end, I think it’s the simple keyboard – in all of its iterations, sizes, and mechanical workings – that has changed my life, my world, & my outlook over time. I’ve always been passionate about connecting with other people, about sharing ideas and about writing. The humble keyboard, when attached to a computer or phone, has expanded my mind and my world in boundless ways. Through keyboards I’ve been in touch with beloveds whilst half a world away. I’ve also met people who I otherwise wouldn’t have – people who are now family by choice. My reality is built upon words shared and typed over the course of a lifetime. Apps, platforms, and channels have helped to me to gather and curate information. They’ve also served as creative outlets through which I feel seen and heard. That said, without words I wouldn’t be as comfortable in my own mind, body, and life as I am today. And yes, I know keyboards well pre-date modern technology. I’m an old soul though, which means that utilising foundational tools with new tech is perfectly a-okay with me.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

When it comes to personal transformation and achieving great things, I really can’t look to technology as being a part of my accomplishments thus far. Maybe it’s because I’m finally feeling comfortable in the space I take up in the world, or maybe it’s thanks to a realisation that true, human connection is what drives everything we do – but it’s actually been the learning to turn off technology that’s helped me find out what matters to me at my core. What transformation is and means to me as an individual is different today than it was this time last year. This time next year, I’m sure it’ll have evolved even further. I am voraciously curious and technology has helped to fuel my curiosity. I’m comfortable in my own expertise now. And, I’m comfortable in spending time amongst the yet unknown. This is a long-answer to say that by consciously unplugging at work and at home I am far more intentional in how I engage with everything, from daily e-mails to mindless scrolling on Instagram. Everything in precarious balance is how I like to live. And, being happy with the precarious nature of life and work is exactly the transformation I needed from tech.

general manager of Tech Futures Lab What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

The Guardian News and Media App. I discovered The Guardian through a good friend before I left New Zealand to live overseas. I love it because knowledge is strength. This app gives me instant access to the most critical issues of our time; from the escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big tech on our lives. It exposed me to a world outside our insular Kiwi news media and sparked my curious mind. When I moved to London, it surprised me to learn that it was regarded as a left-leaning news outlet, and made me think differently about the way our news is constructed and presented in New Zealand. It has a cool supporter model which has just seen it break even just three years after reporting a £57 million loss. In a funny twist, both my partner and I ended up working for The Guardian as part of their digital first strategy.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

This is a nod to ‘old’ tech: the plane. Travel has been a formative feature of my life. I’ve always taken big chunks of time out between roles, and those events have truly transformed my thinking, my perspective, my future, and my sense of place on this planet. Travel has helped me be more purposeful in what I do and taken me outside of my comfort zone. There’s something unique about immersing yourself in a culture that’s unfamiliar and a landscape that’s foreign for months at a time, whether it’s Berlin or Bolivia. Online carbon credits have helped me feel less guilty about jumping on a plane!

chief strategy officer at FCB What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

I recently made myself a better human by breaking a long-term habit and switching my phone off every night so I can read more books. But, to better answer the question, when I switch off my phone I switch on Vodafone’s DreamLab app. While I’m asleep my phone’s computing power is being used to help cancer researchers. It’s strangely fulfilling to wake up to the news that my phone made 2,402 calculations for Project Demystify in just one night, even though I have no idea what that really means.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

Regular exercise makes me immensely happier, but I was never very good at doing it until I signed up to Strava. That’s the cycling app that allows you to measure and compare your performance for every segment of any ride. It turns the whole thing into a game. Trying to beat my personal best time for the Northwestern Cycleway has become an obsession. When it’s rainy or dark I jump on an exercycle for an hour or more. Netflix, iPhone and AirPods have transformed that from something tedious to something enjoyable. It’s like binge-cycling.

technical lead at Rush Digital What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and platforms like YouTube and Wikipedia have helped broaden my knowledge on a wide range of subjects. Whenever I want to learn a new skill, YouTube videos are my first stop, whether it is brewing my own kombucha or understanding the fundamentals of deep learning. Being able to attend a Stanford University course by a leading researcher in the field from the comfort of my living room would have been unimaginable a decade ago. My commutes and household chores are more productive and enjoyable thanks to the numerous podcasts I listen to. The ease of access to this huge body of evolving knowledge is empowering and enables me to continuously learn, be better informed and broaden my horizons.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

I love travelling the world and experiencing different cultures, often in countries where I don’t speak the language. Over the past few years, my smartphone has enabled me to navigate and communicate effectively during my travels. I travelled to Jordan last year and needed to purchase some necessities in Madaba, a small town an hour outside of Amman. My Arabic is limited to a few words and greetings and the shopkeeper spoke no English, however, I was able to use Google Translate and DuoLingo to complete the transaction with ease. This interaction led to a beautiful meal at a restaurant owned by the shopkeeper’s aunt. When communication barriers are broken down the entire world is much more accessible and people are happy to share a part of themselves, something which is incredibly special!

host of The Ground Breaking Podcast What technology platform/ app/programme/invention do you love that has helped make you a better human?

If you told me two years ago that talking into a microphone would make me a better person I would be extremely confused. But it’s true. I was 9 and a half years old when I started interviewing people. The only think I understood about podcasting was that it was an audio version of YouTube. My simple microphone and the podcasting platform however have enabled me to be a way better speaker. I’m still learning to speak and interview well, but it has been fun being able to learn to improvise. I’ve learned how to interact with different people from different backgrounds. I’ve become more extroverted. I am now always talking to an audience. You may not directly see them, but they’re there. I’ve become more creative, able to make decisions quicker and to challenge myself constantly.

When has technology helped you accomplish something truly transformational?

Not sure I’ve done anything transformational yet. But LinkedIn has really helped me connect with some amazing people in this world who are inspiring me with the transformational work they are doing. They’ve inspired me to give things a go, to not be afraid to ask and to challenge myself. I’ve found a community where I can talk about

■ things I’m passionate about.