Making new things is always an adventure. You really never know what you are going to end up with when you start. When it came to DIY CIO, I really didn’t think a site like this would exist much less that I would be a key part of it when I graduated college. It really is a blend of all of my personal and professional experiences in one place. At first such a concept is really scary, but the more I think about it the more I like it. Not only like it, but can see how it can do some good in this world.
Do It Yourself CIO Vision / Mission
Our vision is to provide CIO level support for Small Businesses. Due to the nature of smaller businesses technical roles are often in the hands of a small team, or key individuals. It’s my experience that people in those roles are often focused on the day to day operations with little to no bandwidth to spend time on strategic items. It’s my hope to change that for Small Businesses (and other similar organizations.) everywhere.
Our mission is to align business and technical strategies using reviews, case studies, workshops, and other materials. Over the next few years we will build out a catalog of tools, services, and guides to help technical leaders of all walks make technology decisions for their organization that will make a positive impact to their missions.
Technology Can Change Games
It’s been decades now since the Internet has changed this world. You can philosophize whether if it was for better or worse, but without a doubt it has changed the game when it has come to many areas of life. The concept of an Amazon would have been unheard of in the 80s. (Much less a business that historically didn’t make a profit for decades yet became one of the most powerful companies in the world.) Communicating with people across the globe is almost frictionless compared to life in the early 1900’s. And if you are looking for something more recent, a worldwide pandemic has forced many people to embrace video conferencing tools for day to day communication that just a decade ago was a luxury saved for multinational corporations.
Stories Can Change Lives
As much as technology have altered our global landscape, what’s possibly more important is the stories that has arose because of it. The heart behind tools like Tinder and other dating apps is almost as old as human history. (Matchmaking couples) But if you look closer, there are people who never would have met without technology like that. Another take are tools like Excel and Tableau which enables data engineers to visualize data for business and key stakeholders. But there are many stories that have started with a beautiful visualization moving people to take action on items where historically it’s been silent.
Where DIY CIO Fit In
DIY CIO is not simply a catalog of SaaS tools, software, or other technology. We are looking to capture the why behind many of the tools we review. It’s my belief that understanding that concept will help business leaders make better decisions by knowing both the specifications and stories behind the tools we use.
For small businesses, many tools have been commodified to a point where setting up a digital storefront, website, inventory, payroll, and other software tools are simple but if you’re not careful you may end up paying for more than what’s needed. Or even worse, end up with a tool you don’t need, never intended to use, but still have to pay for its maintenance and upkeep.
Building up DIY CIO
This is the year of the Freelancer. (Single-Employee Companies) The articles that will be created here will go a long way in supporting other industries as time goes on. I’m looking forward to build out this catalog for Small Businesses.
There are two ways you can help.
- First you can become a member. We are very much a startup, but members will be at the ground floor of helping to shape the direction of DIY CIO.
- Give us a bit of grace as we continue to build out the main DIY CIO website. Our focus is currently on YouTube where we will post videos weekly. However, not all tools and styling are in place on this site. We will still write articles on the site and build up our catalog of tools and services. The current plan is to clear out all of the dust and settle in by the end of the month.
Thank you for visiting I hope this site will be a valuable resource to you and your company going forward.
Take Care,
Seth Watson
