The Fuzzy and the Techie: : Why the Liberal Arts Will Rule the Digital World

Financial Times Business Book of the Month Finalist for the 2016 Financial Times/McKinsey Bracken Bower Prize A leading venture capitalist offers surprising revelations on who is going to be driving innovation in the years to come Scott Hartley first heard the terms fuzzy and techie while studying political science at Stanford University. If you majored in the humanities or social sciences, you were a fuzzy. If you majored in the computer sciences, you were a techie. This informal division has quietly found its way into a default assumption that has misled the business world for decades: that it's the techies who drive innovation. But in this brilliantly contrarian book, Hartley reveals the counterintuitive reality of business today: it's actually the fuzzies - not the techies - who are playing the key roles in developing the most creative and successful new business ideas. They are often the ones who understand the life issues that need solving and offer the best approaches for doing so. It is they who are bringing context to code, and ethics to algorithms.They also bring the management and communication skills, the soft skills that are so vital to spurring growth. Hartley looks inside some of today's most dynamic new companies, reveals breakthrough fuzzy-techie collaborations, and explores how such collaborations are at the center of innovation in business, education, and government, and why liberal arts are still relevant in our techie world. One Of The Nation's Leading Venture Capitalists Offers Surprising Revelations On Who Is Going To Be Leading Innovation In The Years To Come Scott Hartley First Heard The Terms Fuzzy And Techie While Studying Political Science At Stanford University. If You Majored In The Humanities Or Social Sciences, You Were A Fuzzy. If You Majored In The Computer Sciences, You Were A Techie. This Informal Division Has Quietly Found Its Way Into A Default Assumption That Has Mistakenly Led The Business World For Decades: That Techies Are The Real Drivers Of Innovation. But In This Brilliantly Contrarian Book, Hartley Reveals The Counterintuitive Reality Of Business Today: It's Actually The Fuzzies-not The Techies-who Are Playing The Key Roles In Developing The Most Creative And Successful New Business Ideas. They Are Often The Ones Who Understand The Life Issues That Need Solving And Offer The Best Approaches For Doing So. They Also Bring The Management And Communication Skills That Are So Vital To Spurring Growth. Hartley Looks Inside Some Of Today's Most Dynamic New Companies, Reveals Breakthrough Fuzzy-techie Collaborations, And Explores How Such Collaborations Work To Create Real Innovation-- The Role Of The Fuzzy In A Techie World -- Adding The Human Factor To Big Data -- The Democratization Of Technology Tools -- Algorithms That Serve-rather Than Rule-us -- Making Our Technology More Ethical -- Enhancing The Ways We Learn -- Building A Better World -- The Future Of Jobs -- Conclusion: Partnership Goes Both Ways. Scott Hartley. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "One of the nation's leading venture capitalists offers surprising revelations on who is going to be leading innovation in the years to come Scott Hartley first heard the terms fuzzy and techie while studying political science at Stanford University. If you majored in the humanities or social sciences, you were a fuzzy. If you majored in the computer sciences, you were a techie. This informal division has quietly found its way into a default assumption that has mistakenly led the business world for decades: that techies are the real drivers of innovation. But in this brilliantly contrarian book, Hartley reveals the counterintuitive reality of business today: it's actually the fuzzies-not the techies-who are playing the key roles in developing the most creative and successful new business ideas. They are often the ones who understand the life issues that need solving and offer the best approaches for doing so. They also bring the management and communication skills that are so vital to spurring growth. Hartley looks inside some of today's most dynamic new companies, reveals breakthrough fuzzy-techie collaborations, and explores how such collaborations work to create real innovation"-- Provided by publisher A contrarian perspective from a leading venture capitalist who contends that the future of advanced technological breakthroughs will come from college graduates who majored in the social sciences and humanities (the Fuzzies) as opposed to the more hardcore science concentrators (the Techies). Based on the author's extensive experience in evaluating and funding start-up companies, the book will feature dozens of timely case studies that will prove his point and will also be of great reassurance to liberal arts majors The role of the fuzzy in a techie world Adding the human factor to big data The democratization of technology tools Algorithms that serve, rather than rule, us Making our technology more ethical Enhancing the ways we learn Building a better world The future of jobs.