There’s a famous Wayne Gretzky quote often bandied about in business: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Whether or not the Gretzky provenance checks out, in a fast-moving world like tech it’s important to know where things are going. This awareness informs your next move, whether it’s for your company or your career. And for anyone vulnerable to age-related bias, staying current or even staying ahead is especially important. That’s because there’s a possibility you will be seen as out-of-touch simply due to your generation.
One way to counteract this perception is to be driven by your curiosity and by being well aware of where things are going. These are my five favorite platforms where you can eavesdrop on a broad range of conversations within tech, so you’ll see where the puck is now and where it’s going to be.
Hacker News
Format: The granddaddy hub for tech news and conversations, the look of Hacker News may be down-and-dirty (aka no-frills), but it’s certainly efficient. Run by the accelerator YCombinator, users post content that is sometimes original and other times clips from other sources—they accept “anything that gratifies one’s intellectual curiosity.” Users upvote what they like and comment, too.
How to use it: Scan for news that interests you. A neat feature is that you can add any post to your Buffer queue for social media sharing. A sampling of postings today included “The elusive peril of space junk” and “Lessons learned with onboarding emails with no HTML styling.” There’s also an Ask tab, where readers ask for and receive advice, and a Jobs tab, where openings are listed.
Best for: Keeping current on tech news.
Elpha
Format: This is a forum-style platform for women in tech, but most of the topics covered are applicable to all. Membership is free, and if you’re not a woman you can instead subscribe to the newsletter. Many of the conversations are visible to the public.
How to use it: Like any forum, you can read and/or post. I find the vibe to be extremely supportive, and the purposefully emoji-filled space feels very welcoming. Each week a handful of bold-faced names in tech host AMA-style threads dubbed “office hours.” And other topics range from the super-serious (“Salary runaround”) to lighter (“How do you take your coffee?”). There’s a place for job postings and a directory, too.
Best for: Women (but not exclusively) looking for real-talk in a supportive environment.
Indie Hackers
Format: Indie Hackers’ origin story is based on Hacker News, but that hasn’t prevented it from becoming a powerful content and membership site on its own. Posts are upvoted, and the dark screen design was ahead of its time.
How to use it: This is standard forum fare: read and post. The vibe is supportive. Developer content is most common (“How do you style your React components?”), but there is a lot of growth buzz, too (“How to use Reddit for growth hacking?”). There are also hundreds of interviews with founders.
Best for: The bootstrapped startup world, especially those focused on rapid product development and growth.
Twitter Lists
Format: Any Twitter user can curate lists of their followers around a theme. The list can be classified as public or private, and when public, any of the rest of us can follow that list.
How to use it: Lists are an underutilized way to tap into the minds of the real influencers in tech. Unfortunately, Twitter doesn’t make it easy. You’ll find lists under the three dots icon on the desktop version. On the mobile app, they’re in the profile. A good place to start in finding follow-worthy tech lists is with Robert Scoble. He recently curated his own Twitter circles and offers numerous public tech-oriented lists. Follow a list that interests you, then click on the list in your own profile to read what the power players are saying. For more, check out this list of lists, sectioned by categories, including startups and VCs.
Best for: Those already into Twitter, who want to up the quality of their feed.
Product Hunt
Format: Product launches are posted—from features to apps to books—then upvoted and commented on. Founders respond to questions or comments on their launches.
How to use it: Subscribe to the daily newsletter if your inbox can handle it, and do a 30-second scan of products to see whether any interest you. When one does, you can click through to learn more about it and maybe even try it. If none do, you’ve only lost 30 seconds, and what’s new and trending has registered on your brain.
Best for: Getting a read on new products and how they’re landing with early adopters.