The arrival of a new year brings promises of change: fresh calendars to start filling with plans and best intentions to do things differently this year, or decade even. Along with the classic resolutions — exercise more, spend less money — tech-focused resolutions are becoming part of the norm.
Whether you want to have a better relationship with your phone or finally launch your start-up idea, this is what the experts recommend for achieving digital success in 2020.
Resolution: Achieve Inbox Zero
“Email overload is a problem for many of us and when it gets out of hand, it’s a productivity sap like no other,” says Joshua Zerkel, head of global community at productivity platform Asana.
Audrey Gelman, co-founder and CEO of women’s club The Wing told The Cut that her assistant Penelope “is in my inbox all day” to colour-code her emails into 60 categories. For those without a Penelope, Zerkel recommends tidying things up so you only have emails you need.
“Decide on a shiny new process. I usually advise people to keep it simple: file, delete, forward or take immediate action. If an email doesn’t serve you — get it out of your life, delete it.”
Resolution: Up your security game
Boring but necessary. Data by password manager Dashlane found that the average internet user has over 200 digital accounts. Can you keep abreast of 200 unique, secure passwords? Probably not.
Start by getting a password manager: Dashlane’s is a good one, or if you use an iPhone you can benefit from this on iOS. To make a strong password, Avast’s senior VP of consumer security, Peter Turner says ensure it’s at least 16 characters and a mix of numbers, special characters and upper and lowercase letters.
It’s not just about protecting your accounts, but devices too. “Computers, televisions and most devices connected to the internet … ask you to consent to an update. Making sure you download the update as it fixes any security issues on your devices,” he adds.
Resolution: Spend less time on your phone
The introduction of Screen Time on iOS and digital wellbeing tools on Android showed us how long we spend on our phones. Now it’s time to hack it so your phone works for you, not the other way around. The best place to start is with spring cleaning, advises Rose La Prairie, Google’s head of digital wellbeing.
“Turn off the notifications that aren’t useful, delete the apps you don’t want and set up your home screen with the apps that you want to spend your time and energy on. If you are trying to read more in 2020 or practise a language, put those apps on your home screen so they are easy to reach for when you have downtime.”
One thing she predicts for this year is prioritising focus. “I think we’ll see more people carving out time to focus on a ‘single task’.”
Resolution: Launch your start-up
London’s start-up scene is one of the best in Europe thanks to deep-pocketed investors, innovative founders and ground-breaking ideas. But how do you know when to launch your own venture?
Louis Warner, COO at start-up accelerator Founders Factory, says there are a few things to do first. “Understand which are the best markets to operate in and where can you solve a big enough problem. We know sustainability is a huge problem, which is attracting a lot of interest in investment capital.”
Once you have the problem, get cracking on the business plan — what is the market, how big is it, how are you going to solve the problem and how will tech help you scale exponentially? It also helps to hit milestones with as little money as possible. “What investors are looking for is that there’s progress and a path towards a sustainable business.”
Resolution: Monetise your podcast
There are now over 800,000 podcasts out there, so how is your bedroom operation going to compete? Acast recently launched Acast Open, so you can publish your show for free regardless of size.
Sam Shetabi, Acast’s UK content director says 15,000 weekly listens is usually the point when a podcast is ready for advertising. But it’s not just ads that bring in revenue. “Live shows are great offline events — you can do it in a room above a pub, or scale it up to a theatre — and that’s a great way of going about monetising.”
It helps if you have a great idea. Shetabi says he’s seen a shift from episodes based on events to evergreen content listeners can enjoy any time. “Like The Log Books — an LGBT+ podcast which looks at the logbooks of the LGBT+ Switchboard, a helpline that has been running for years. It’s a really open-minded idea, not just thinking about the issues of today but going back through history.”
Headphones on, it’s time to get planning.
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