The most common question I have had in interviews over the years has been, “Can you explain what you studied at university please?” or a variation on that theme. My stock answer is that I liked learning, I really liked the natural world and when I was 18 years old I didn’t want to learn about plants so I chose Zoology. I then tend to work in a description how I have been trained to think like a scientist and a systems level which has allowed me to be successful transferring myself to the Technology sector.
This got me thinking, has it? Has being trained as an ecologist, scientist and researcher put me in a place to see things differently to an individual with a more traditional pathway?
Cue numerous runs with reflections and voice notes which have culminated in this series of articles where I explore the intersection of ecology and technology (think Rocky montage but a lot sweatier and less steps).
By applying ecological thinking to technology architecture, we could we create systems that are more scalable, leveraging the right balance of connectedness, whilst making strategic long-term decisions. It’s about recognising that our designs, whether digital, physical, or organisational, are part of a broader ecosystem. Oh can you imagine?!
Lately, it feels like the word ecosystem is slowly creeping into everywhere in technology circles, from cloud ecosystems to AI ecosystems, it’s become a new way for people explain (and I am one of them) to describe anything that’s interconnected.
But let’s take a moment to remember that in nature, an ecosystem is a finely balanced web of life, where every part plays a role. So, while our applications might be connected, it’s not just about parts that work together, it’s about harmony, adaptation, and balance.
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