Talking to tech enthusiasts ft. Chris Isak

Thoughts, tips in bullet points. Gerry’s attempt at “bullet point journalism”.

Connect with Chris Isak at @ChristopherIsak and on LinkedIn!

What’s this about?

• Let’s talk tech community building
• Who? Gamers, gadget enthusiasts, tech savvy folks
• Many want to reach and influence them. But how? Chris Isak gives tips.

Who’s Chris Isak?

• Journalist and Founder at TechAcute
• Collaboration Tech and Smart Building at GMS
• Marketing and Sales at GPA

How do you build a tech community?

• You should define for yourself what “tech” means to you first
• Work out loud
• Listen to your peers, provide feedback, be friendly

What are tech enthusiasts like, demographically?

• I think anybody can be a tech enthusiast
• No demographic thinking allowed
• Early adopters of solutions, rather pro than con (WANTING it to be good, only accept it as negative if there’s really no hope)

What are some common behaviors/traits of tech enthusiasts and communities?

• They care about hardware and parts maybe a bit more than others
• They voice their opinion actively
• They rarely forget once a company let them down

What’s top of mind in the tech community now?

• COVID-19 issues
• Future of work and career
• Climate crisis and sustainable solutions

What do tech enthusiasts like?

• Tinkering and hands-on experiments
• When brands recognize them as fans and champions
• New designs, form factors, and innovation

What do they NOT like?

• More paperwork and process than what makes sense
• Bugs and unreasonable issues
• When products can’t be opened/repaired by themselves easily

Advice for reaching, talking to and connecting with tech enthusiasts?

• Respect the quirks
• Celebrate the diversity
• Don’t lecture them (info allowed but not with a snobby professor attitude)

Last words (bullets)!

• Seek to improve
• Communicate clearly, transparently, and swiftly
• Be friendly and stay real

Ok bye!