By: Lauren Perrodin
In his December 2022 keynote event, Marc Benioff, chairman, and co-CEO of Salesforce, mentioned that “Customer expectations are changing in real-time, there’s a new economy; there are new stakeholders; there are new technologies; there are new experiences.” He urges listeners to have a better grasp of automation and data intelligence to get the most out of owning a business.
Even Apple CEO, Tim Cook, says coding should be a part of a child’s education as early as elementary school, noting that coding is the “most important language you can learn.”
What makes coding so vital? Let’s take a look.
"The United States leads the world in technology, yet only 5% of our high school students study computer science. How is this acceptable? We invented the personal computer, the internet, and the smartphone. It is our responsibility to prepare the next generation for the new American Dream," says Cook.
With technology so heavily dependent on during this time and age, coding can open many doors for your business; here are a few examples.
Move Your Ideas into Action More Quickly
The more you understand the product development process, the better you can navigate when issues arise. You can troubleshoot hiccups and get your ideas out the door more quickly. With coding languages, you can launch a basic model prototype of your business ideas, test what works, and fix what doesn’t.
Build Relationships with Your Tech Team
You can help support your IT teams, understand their language and make more informed decisions on new technologies or coding issues. Majority of businesses have an online presence, and knowing the best course of action when it comes to security breaches, improving budgets, or developing new systems can come in handy around every corner.
Help Tech Teams Manage Projects
If your tech team runs into any glitches or technical issues, speaking the same language helps! Even understanding the basics of coding allows room for effective communication and team collaboration. Having that level of communication can impact the timing and productivity of any technical matters.
Improve the Employee Experience
Technology can drive the future of your business. Automation, AI, and machine learning can not only improve the customer experience, but your employees’ as well. Knowing some coding and data languages can help you lead your teams, get them comfortable with what already exists, and give them the foundation for adopting new software. A great team can help ease this journey and create more opportunities.
Save Money Completing Work In-House
Sometimes paying a chief technical officer at the start of your business could be too costly and out of reach. (Understandable!) So, taking on the technical responsibility may fall on you and your current team. Knowing how to code, automate processes, even just simply putting up new landing pages on your site, could help save some money instead of trying to hire someone else to do it for you. Adding some money saved back to your wallet and adding business self-sufficiency as a bonus!
Getting Started
Feeling inspired? You can get started by joining a coding bootcamp with UCR University Extension. Jump into a 24-week, rigorous and fast-paced curriculum that can give you a running start in coding. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t have to be Elon Musk (a self-taught coder and successful entrepreneur) to succeed. A basic understanding of coding can be extremely helpful for a business owner just starting out and well into the future.