When I was growing up, my dad was always one of the first people I knew to try new technology.
We were the first family I knew with a VCR.
We had a microwave when they were still something people talked about.
We had a computer long before having a computer at home was normal.
He even had a PalmPilot.
Looking back now, I realize my dad wasn’t just bringing new gadgets into our house.
He was teaching me how to approach change.
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He Never Waited Until He Knew Everything
My dad didn’t wait until a new piece of technology felt completely comfortable or familiar before he tried it.
He was curious.
He figured things out.
And without ever sitting me down and giving me a formal lesson about it, he showed me something I’ve carried with me throughout my life:
You don’t have to understand everything before you’re willing to learn something.
That’s a very different mindset from the one I hear from so many people today.
“I don’t understand AI.”
“I’m terrible with computers.”
“I’m too old to learn this.”
“Technology changes too fast.”
But here’s the thing.
It has always changed fast.
Today’s Intimidating Technology Becomes Tomorrow’s Ordinary Technology
Think about some of the technology that once seemed revolutionary.
Microwaves.
VCRs.
Personal computers.
The internet.
Smartphones.
At one point, every one of those things was new.
People had to learn how to use them.
And eventually, they became part of everyday life.
Artificial intelligence and the other technologies we’re learning today are no different.
What’s intimidating today may be something we barely think about using five years from now.
Curiosity Beats Expertise
This may be the biggest lesson my dad gave me.
You don’t need to be the person in the room who knows everything.
You need to be willing to say:
“Hmm. I wonder what this does?”
Click the button.
Try the feature.
Ask the question.
Make the mistake.
Learn something.
That’s how confidence grows.
Not by waiting until you’re certain you won’t mess anything up, but by being curious enough to explore anyway.
That’s What Tech Confidence Means to Me
Years later, I can see how much my dad’s approach influenced the way I think about technology—and why teaching technology became so important to me.
Tech Confidence isn’t about becoming a technology expert.
It’s about believing you’re capable of figuring things out.
Technology will continue to change. There will always be another device, another app, another update, and another acronym somebody expects us to understand.
We can’t control that.
But we can control how we approach it.
And I’d choose curiosity over fear every single time.
Thanks, Dad. 💙