“IT Guys” suffer from an image problem.
We’ve all seen the stereotype of the sleazy, ambulance-chasing lawyer who combs hospital emergency rooms looking for accident victims. Finding someone in pain, he offers them the “solution” to all of their problems in return for a hefty fee. The lawyer isn’t invested in the victim’s long-term recovery or wellbeing – he’s just trying to make a quick profit for himself out of their pain and troubles.
That stereotype doesn’t just apply to lawyers.
For most people, the “IT Guy” is someone they call when they’re in pain. Maybe their site has just gone down and they don’t know why, or their computer is giving them random error messages and rebooting on its own, or they’re frustrated about not being able to install certain software on their machine.
Oftentimes, said techo-scuzzbag will capitalize on the victim’s pain. He’ll offer short-term solutions at exorbitant prices (which the victims will pay because they’re in pain or might not know any better) and mysteriously disappear when the “solution” he put in place doesn’t pan out.
Which, of course, only serves to reinforce the stereotype and give you even less faith in technology and the people who can genuinely help you with it.
The grain of truth.
Admittedly, the whole technology industry is based on obsolescence. You’re meant to upgrade your computer every 2 years (or less). You’re meant to buy and discard peripherals like printers, MP3 players, phones, etc. You’re meant to upgrade to the latest and greatest version of software every year – often with a hefty fee attached.
The same is true for IT services as it is for computers, peripherals, and software. The incentive structure is backwards. IT guys only get paid when your stuff breaks. They only get paid when you’re in pain – and so their focus is necessarily placed on relieving your short-term pain.
We hate that.
We hate the techno-scuzzbag stereotype just as much as every honest lawyer must hate the ambulance-chaser stereotype. We hate the fact that the incentives in this industry are built around quick-hit, short-term thinking.
Doctors, not lawyers.
Doctors are (or should be) focused on a patient’s long-term health. Whenever you go in for a checkup, a good doctor won’t try to sell you snake oil or quick-fix “solutions” to your medical condition. He’ll check you over to make sure all is well, answer any questions you might have, and work with you to ensure you’re taking the best possible care of your body. His focus is on your health, not on presenting a quick fix to your illness.
Good doctors, anyway.
One of the alarming trends in healthcare – and one that’s been rightfully denounced – is the drive-through doctor. The one who will see each individual patient for only 5 minutes and give them a prescription for a solution instead of a sympathetic hearing. The doctor who only gets paid when his patients are sick, and tries to cram appointments with as many sick people as possible into a day in order to rake in the dough. That sucks.
The new face of healthcare.
These doctors are changing the incentives in the healthcare industry. Instead of only getting paid when their patients are sick, they charge a flat monthly fee – in return for which they’re always available to answer any medical question their patients might have. Their focus is on prevention, not cure. They get paid to keep their patients healthy.
That is utterly awesome.
Help Us Change IT
We want to do for IT what these guys are doing for health care. We want the incentives to change. We want to get paid for keeping your technology healthy, not producing a quick “cure” when it gets sick. We want nothing short of a technology revolution.
In order to get the revolution started, we’ve created the inspirIT Maximum Awsomeness Survey. It asks you a few short questions about your current technology and what you’d like to get out of it.
Please consider filling out the survey, and passing it on to anyone else who might benefit from a little more free time to do their best work.
Giving Back
The last question of the survey asks what kind of free stuff you’d like us to offer. We’re doing this as a way to give back to the people who are generously giving us their time. People who fill out the survey will be the first to get their hands on the cool free stuff.
There’s some exciting times ahead. Thank you for helping us help you.
