Embracing the Human Cloud: How Democratization and Distributed Workforces Drive Tech Innovation

The economic climate in 2023 poses a challenge for many companies who must balance innovation with uncertainty. Cory Hymel, VP of Product at Gigster, a software development service company, predicts that democratizing power levels from the ground up will be crucial for businesses to survive the ongoing pandemic malaise. Gigster has expanded its services to help clients face complex business challenges and will release eight new offerings this year to augment risk reduction pricing models and on-demand team assembly. This approach enables companies to address software development technical issues more efficiently and roll out more IT-based applications to drive revenue growth or deliver a competitive edge.

The democratization of technology is the process of making access to tech more accessible to more people. A narrower segment, data democratization, happens when an organization makes data accessible to all employees and stakeholders. This approach includes educating users on how to work with data, regardless of their technical background. Democratized software developers engage with business domain experts to actively participate in the development process. This collaboration is aided by using an approach that automates large sections of code, meaning less technical expertise is required. This demand for democratization is driven by the existing shortage of expert developer talent.

Distributed work models involve teams of workers spread throughout different geographical locations, often operating without physical offices. Workers perform their tasks from different physical locations and time zones, driven by the core philosophy of chasing common goals via unified collaboration. Since there are no physical constraints, the distributed work model, if properly managed, facilitates greater flexibility and adaptability and opens companies up to a much larger talent pool. It thrives through clear communication that establishes expectations for every team member.

Organizations seek ways to accelerate product development to achieve, maintain, or improve quality. Their investment in time and resources does not always lead to meaningful performance improvement. Gigster's managed software development platform uses technology and a distributed, global team to fast-track product development and provide greater velocity. The firm's experts also work with companies to determine innovations that will have the most significant impact and are achievable with the organization's resources in mind. The distributed work model brings cost-effectiveness and worker efficiency, which can help companies recognize direct and indirect savings.

A distributed work model's most significant challenges are workplace threats like cyberattacks and access control. Businesses must focus intensely on external threats and abide by varying security, compliance, and tax laws depending on their employees' location. Managing distributed teams is a unique challenge that not all organizations and managers are equipped for.

Tech companies that enjoyed profitability for the longest time are battling geopolitical pressures and increasing costs. As markets flip from growth to profits, tech company valuations crash, financial institutions become more cautious, and the recession seems inevitable. Hence, tech companies are reducing their workforces, believing it is the only way out of the crisis. To avoid further recessionary pitfalls, Hymel recommends tech companies prepare now to gravitate around disruption to avoid being caught off-guard. Organizations must become flexible enough to experiment with emerging innovations as they prepare to thrive through ensuing upturns.