I still remember the moment clearly. I walked into the conference room, prepared to discuss the intersection of cloud computing and 5G, a topic I had presented on numerous times in the past. The executives were enthusiastic about 5G, convinced that it would revolutionize the cloud industry. As I stood before them, I knew I had to express my concerns. “Forgive my bluntness,” I said, “but the promises surrounding 5G are greatly exaggerated. We’re investing in a technology that has yet to live up to its hype, and based on current trends, it may not deliver as expected.”
The room grew quiet, and I could see the disbelief on their faces. One executive, his tone tinged with condescension, countered, “David, you’re mistaken. 5G is the future of cloud!” Others joined in, dismissing my doubts. There I was again, the lone skeptic in the room, challenging the prevailing narrative that everyone else seemed so certain about.
Looking back, I wasn’t wrong in my assessment, but the truth didn’t exactly help my career. As I’ve been reminded during many performance reviews, “You need to learn to go with the flow.” Despite my years of experience, I found that challenging the hype surrounding emerging technologies wasn’t always appreciated, even when it was justified.
Having worked in tech for over three decades, I’ve learned a crucial lesson: there are no magic bullets. Anything hyped as a game-changer is often a risky investment. Whether it’s generative AI or any other “next big thing,” I’ve seen many ideas come and go, fueled by billions in marketing, yet many fail to live up to the promises. People become deeply invested in specific technologies, and questioning them often results in resistance. But in my view, the key to evaluating any technology is to break it down, assess its components, and focus on what truly delivers return on investment.