Working within the ICT space, it seems that after years of remote work, people have finally started to return to basics. Ironically, our “connectedness” has and will continue to cause a sense of disconnection. Our world has embraced an anti-encounter culture, leading to a few challenges.

• The first being our tendency as humans to rely on habitual actions of avoidance to solve problems. This is evident in the use of Excel sheets to assist with software systems, which ultimately adds more problems instead of resolving the original issue.
• The second challenge is our inclination to isolate ourselves. As software developers, we take pride in constructing new things, meticulously solving problems piece by piece, akin to playing Tetris. However, in the process, we can lose ourselves and lose sight of the bigger picture.
• The third challenge is self-ideation. By confining ourselves to our own perspectives, we miss out on the opportunity to gain diverse insights, fresh perspectives, and collaborate across different disciplines, which are crucial for achieving breakthroughs.

Regardless of how enjoyable it may be to stay busy and isolate ourselves, we will always rediscover, as if it were a novel concept, that the essence of software lies in solving human challenges. Humans do not exist in isolation, and innovation does not happen in isolation either. We must test our techniques, engage with others, seek input, and then put our ideas into action. Being innovative may even mean that we don’t necessarily have to build software. A one-dollar app is not the solution to everything!

While focused work time is not entirely wrong, it is not the ultimate answer either. We must maintain continuous interactions with clients, adopt a mission-based approach, and foster idea oscillation within our teams instead of isolating ourselves. By continuously exchanging ideas, we stay engaged and challenged without embarking on unnecessary mythical side quests.