Mike Saunders - HumanCentric: Technology Fails Unless it Means Something to Someone

FOREWORD

by Brett StClair

Having spent ten of my twenty-five years in technology working with businesses across the planet from Google, YouTube, AdMob and then moving into the traditional corporate space reinventing Barclays Africas digital transformation and rebuild for three years I have been privileged to see how modern digital business grows at scale and the mistakes weve made in traditional companies to compete against these giants of the industry.

I have known Mike for just over ten years. I had just wrapped up my second start-up, a mobile media business, and was on my way to join Silicon darling AdMob. Mike had just started DigitLab, which has since become a highly respected digital agency in South Africa. We are both passionate about the disruptive forces of technology and about unlocking value for the end-user using the technology platforms. Weve spent countless hours sharing strategies and approaches wed learnt working with some of the biggest brands in Africa.

Mike and I also have a shared passion for knowledge sharing and spend much of our time speaking at conferences. Its been a privilege to watch him become one of Africas leading keynote speakers on disruptive technologies. Mike has published two incredible books, with Renowned topping my Top Ten list, which helps ordinary people build powerful and influential personal brands using social media and the digital economy.

Mikes passion led him to build an incredibly successful digital agency that advises and develops innovative digital solutions for its clients. Hes worked both locally and internationally on the ground level building start-ups, as well as on the top-level advising C-suite executives. Hes a big thinker with a clear philosophy that technology should be humancentric. Hence the reason for this, his third book.

When it comes to technology books, so many authors have concentrated on niche areas of specialisation. Very few provide an overarching guide to transform your business on a digital plane. Mike is uniquely positioned and experienced to share his secret sauce a complete framework for human-centred digital transformation. It brings a much needed human element into the Fourth Industrial Revolution conversation because, as he says, technology fails unless it means something to someone.

This book considers all business types and sizes. It will guide you through the maze of sophisticated technologies to solve actual customer problems. It is the first book that examines what it takes to build and run a business while digitally transforming to compete in this modern, ever-evolving marketplace.

Mike is a straight talker, one who does not beat around the proverbial bush. Time is valuable, and it is rare to see the kind of advice that large consultancies charge millions of dollars for available in a light-hearted fun read that will position you and your business to win in digital.