Friday 23 June, 2023
London Tech Week is a global celebration of tech that brings together experts, thinkers and talent in a week-long festival. Showcasing how tech is transforming business and society, London Tech Week drives thought provoking conversations around innovation, diversity and transformation, providing a platform for the tech ecosystem to come together to drive change, learn and elevate their thinking.
Our CEO Lara Paholski has summarised her top insights from the week, including:
Starting a tech scale-up company is hard, but there is help.
Founding a tech scale-up is relentless and a path that only those who have done it can truly understand. Having done it myself, the following takeaways on the topic resonated for me and I hope they do for others too.
Founder life – it’s tough!
Being a founder is often a lonely, terrifying, and emotionally debilitating, and yet it can be exhilarating and brilliant all at once. But you often don’t know what lies ahead, and your co-founders, employees, investors and clients are relying on you daily, and the pressure is real. It’s important to realise though that not everyone has the grit and endurance that founders need, so understand that you have something remarkable, so embrace the hardship. Share it with people who want the best for you and can help with advice and always, because they are never far away. And always take care of your mental and physical wellbeing so you can perform at your best.
Continue developing digital skills of workforces.
The demand for digital skills in the workplace has never been greater, especially with much of the workforce still working remotely in some capacity. Research however tells us there is a large digital skills gap for employers seeking talent, and around half of workforces still lack these important skills. It’s clear that workplaces need to do more to ensure a greater number of individuals are developing digital skills to keep pace with the ever-changing needs.
There is power in diversity.
We must continue to close the gender gap and collectively work together to build more diverse, equitable, and collaborative workplaces and communities. Be the one to speak up to drive change, and if you’re not in a workplace where you can, maybe it’s time to make a change. We must all contribute to cultivating a culture of inclusion and acceptance where everyone can get involved in the conversation. Dare to think differently in every part of your business!
Make AI your friend.
Grasp the multitude of challenges and opportunities that AI presents. The possibilities of AI are extraordinary as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reinforced – but we must and will do it safely. It’s essential we consider the safety regulations for AI, while equally finding a balance without stifling innovation. While many employees remain worried about the impact of AI on jobs, it’s no different to previous technologies that have presented similar challenges. So, let’s harness its power to bring positive change.
Seize the opportunity to help combat climate change.
Climate change is the defining challenge of our generation – and companies are stepping up with ambitious net zero commitments. That may or may not be realistic for your company but stretch as far as you can. There is not only value to be gained for your business, employees, and clients by doing so. You’ll be contributing to the bigger movement of sustainability at a global level.
