Why tech needs the humanities | Eric Berridge

Eric Berridge recounts a crisis at his software consulting firm where they needed a specific programming skill for a client. When facing termination, a bartender friend, Jeff, offered to help. Despite being a philosophy major with no programming experience, Jeff successfully engaged the client, changed the conversation from technical skills to project goals, and ultimately figured out the solution, saving the client relationship.

Inspired by Jeff's success, the company changed its recruitment strategy to include individuals from various disciplines like artists, musicians, and writers, alongside computer science majors. This shift led to significant growth, with the company expanding to 1,000 employees while still having fewer than 100 with traditional computer science degrees, yet becoming a top player in their market.

Berridge criticizes the fierce national push for STEM education at the expense of the humanities, citing increased STEM majors and significant government funding directed towards STEM. He argues that while STEM is important, the assumption that the future workforce will be dominated solely by STEM is a colossal mistake and overblown, likening it to a whole soccer team chasing the ball into one corner.

Berridge provides two main reasons why valuing humanities is as important as STEM. Firstly, modern technologies are intuitive and can be manipulated without extensive coding, making specialized skills more accessible without rigorous formal education. Secondly, essential skills in a world of intuitive technology are human-centric: envisioning end products, judgment, historical context, communication, and understanding 'what to build and why'.

Berridge emphasizes that treating the humanities as a lesser or easier path is a mistake. The humanities provide context, teach critical thinking, and foster persuasion and language skills, which are crucial for converting emotions into thought and action. He asserts that humanities and sciences should be on equal footing, as one teaches how to build, and the other teaches what and why to build.

While acknowledging the necessity of engineers for foundational work, Berridge stresses that the future workforce needs diversity beyond gender or race. He highlights that major tech companies like Google and Apple have a high percentage of non-technical job openings, including roles for marketers, designers, and project managers. The increasing accessibility of technology frees individuals to pursue diverse fields, contributing to a more varied and capable workforce.