How Technology is Disrupting Incumbent Industries and How to Get In on the Action

Technology is transforming new and old industries at an incredible pace. These innovations create opportunities for businesses and individuals to develop enterprises that were unheard of even five years ago. As more people acquire tech skills, these innovations are happening quicker than ever before. Since most people in the world have smartphones at their disposal, these advancements are available to most of the world’s population.

Most apps and technologies aren’t changing how these businesses operate but providing a service that permits these activities to happen quicker, easier, or without getting off the couch. Companies charge a fee or percentage of the transaction to make their money.

Medicine

We all get our medicine from the same person—a pharmacist. New services are allowing patrons to skip the trip to the pharmacy. For those with complex medicine routines, there are even services that will send your pills separated by time, dosage, and day. This idea isn’t revolutionary. People will always need medicine and have been successfully managing their medication without this service. Still, the service fulfills a desirable need for those reliant on medicine to manage their ailments more easily.

Companies offering these services need employees of varying skillsets, pharmacists for consultation and medicine, customer service representatives to handle phone calls, and Web Developers to make sure subscribers maintain access to the app.

Shopping

It’s not news that brick-and-mortar stores struggle, especially smaller boutique or niche stores, as more shopping happens virtually. To combat decreasing in-person shopping, stores are increasing their online presence. It won’t be long before businesses open without considering renting a space to open a shop. Etsy is providing that service to artisans and creators from around the world.

Virtual shopping allows customers to buy without visiting your store, but they also don’t have to be in the same city or country to purchase your products. This revolution is a godsend to artists, crafters, and tradespeople from local communities and emerging markets.

News

Instead of watching the evening edition of the news, we browse through Twitter or Facebook to get caught up. News apps use algorithms based on your Internet usage to send you news similar to the stories you typically consume. This could be on various topics you follow or certain outlets or sites you frequent. The people behind the algorithms and altering them so you can receive relevant news, are data scientists. They are frequently looking at user data to find, and exploit, trends in usage. You can become a data scientist in as little as six months by attending one of the top data science bootcamps.

Dining out

One industry that is difficult to change dramatically is the food industry. Until robotic chefs become more reliable, our cooking will still be done by humans. We still eat the same way, but how we find, reserve, and go to restaurants is changing through hundreds of food-centered apps on the marketplace. When was the last time you read a food review in your local newspaper? Even if you did, you probably checked Yelp as well.

During this pandemic, restaurants are finding every customer they can from food delivery services. The reliance on these services is skyrocketing due to people’s fear of leaving the house, and the fear of their partner’s cooking. While the idea is simple, there are a lot of moving pieces behind the scenes. Each of these services needs at least three apps—for customers, drivers, and the restaurants themselves. With updates, multiple platforms, and bug fixes, the tech workers have to be as skilled as master chefs. If you lack cooking skills and want to contribute to the food industry, consider a boot camp, such as Springboard, to get the coding experience to work for a website in the restaurant business.

The Future is in Motion

Technology is wrapping its tentacles around every industry and job market. Tech jobs will soon be available in every industry—from manufacturing to publishing. Even industries that are reliant on humans working are no exception. If you have an idea or service in mind, it could be a lucrative idea, even if there are already companies performing similar functions. Even those without an entrepreneurial spirit can be a part of the change by attending a tech trade school.