|
The Accidental Techie Radar
|
|
|
Hey friends,
This edition is a little different. No deep dive into a single framework today. Instead, consider this the kind of catch-up you'd have with a colleague over coffee. What I've been building, what I'm paying attention to, some reading worth your time, jobs worth considering, and books worth buying from an independent store.
A lot is happening in the nonprofit tech world right now. Some of it is exciting. Some of it is worth watching carefully. All of it is worth talking about together.
WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO
First, a big one: I officially launched Flourish Collective LLC. This has been in the works for a while, and it feels good to make it real. The work is still the same: helping nonprofit organizations think more clearly about technology, operations, and the humans in between.
If your nonprofit has a capacity grant sitting unexecuted, a systems project that stalled, or an operations gap your team can't fill, Flourish Collective was built for exactly that moment. More to come on what that looks like in practice.
Second, I'm heading (virtually) to the 2026 Nonprofit Technology Conference, and I'd love to catch up online if you will be there.
I'll be presenting "From Accidental Techie to Intentional Tech Leader" on Thursday at 3:15 PM. It's a virtual session, and I'll be introducing the framework I've been building for this newsletter: the shift from reactive problem-solving to strategic technology leadership. If you're attending, please don't miss it. If you're on the fence about attending, this is me making the case.
I'll also be keeping an eye on a few other sessions. Wednesday is genuinely brutal because the morning lineup runs at the same time, but here are the ones I'm tracking:
Wednesday Morning (pick one, you can't have them all):
- Work Smarter, Not Just Faster with AI by Beth Kanter. Beth has been in this space longer than most, and this session is specifically about using AI to extend your thinking, not outsource it. If you're nervous about what AI adoption actually looks like in a resource-strapped org, start here.
- Data Can't Leak If It's Not There: Classification, Minimization & Sanitization by Lisa Jarvis. The unglamorous side of data management. But if you're sitting on years of donor records and staff files with no clear policy, this one is for you.
- Privacy-Ready Nonprofits: Real Practices for Current and Emerging Privacy Laws. Laws are changing faster than most of our policies. This is the session to get ahead of it.
Wednesday Afternoon:
- Beyond the Breach: Understanding Your Organization's Data Exposure. Most nonprofits only think about data security after something goes wrong. This session is about understanding what you're sitting on before it becomes a crisis.
- Stop Using Public AI: Protecting the Mission, the Data, the People. A conversation that's overdue in most orgs. Public AI tools and sensitive beneficiary data are a combination worth thinking hard about.
- AI Without the Overwhelm: A Culture-First Framework for Sustainable Adoption. The word 'culture-first' is doing a lot of work in that title, and I mean that as a compliment. Implementation without buy-in always fails. This one is about getting the order right.
Thursday Morning:
- Decentralize to Scale: What Distributed Organizing Really Is. Worth understanding if your org is growing or trying to do more with the same team size.
- Creating Ethical AI Tools: Lessons from an Anti-Trafficking Nonprofit. Real stakes. Real constraints. Real lessons. This is the kind of session that reminds you why mission matters in every tech decision.
Thursday Afternoon:
And of course: From Accidental Techie to Intentional Tech Leader at 3:15 PM. Come say hello in the chat.
|
|
|
WHAT I'M READING THIS WEEK
All four of these came across my radar this week. I read a lot so you don't have to, but these ones I think are worth your time.
AI Won't Fix This (MIT Sloan Review). Research confirms what many of us already suspect: most digital initiatives fail not because the technology is broken, but because organizations haven't prepared their people to use it. Validating and a little uncomfortable.
Why Digital Dexterity Is Key to Transformation (MIT Sloan Review). The leaders making the most progress on digital transformation aren't just rolling out new tools. They're fundamentally changing how people work. There's a big difference between the two.
Why Visibility Has Become the New Test of Leadership (MIT Sloan Review). Worth reading if you've ever felt like the work you do behind the scenes goes unnoticed. Spoiler: being invisible is no longer a neutral position for leaders.
Nudge Users to Catch Generative AI Errors (MIT Sloan Review). Research from MIT and Accenture shows that adding small, targeted friction in AI workflows actually helps people catch mistakes without sacrificing efficiency. Worth thinking about before your next staff AI rollout.
BOOKS WORTH YOUR TIME
I've been building a reading list on Bookshop.org. It's a platform that supports independent bookstores, and I'd rather send your dollars there than to a warehouse.
Check out my list at bookshop.org/shop/theaccidentaltechie. These are books I've actually read and recommend for nonprofit operations and tech leaders. Not a curated-for-the-sake-of-curating list. Real reads.
|
|
|
JOBS FOR ACCIDENTAL TECHIES
Roles that look like yours, and ones that might be your next step. Deadlines move fast, so don't sit on these.
- Operations & Administration Manager Accelerate Resilience LA | Los Angeles, CA | Hybrid | $105,000-$115,000 | Apply here
- Senior Manager, Operations Community Catalyst | Remote | $80,000-$120,000 | Apply here
- Senior Manager of Operations Center for Neighborhood Technology | Chicago, IL | Hybrid | $83,500-$90,000 | Deadline March 10 | Apply here
- Operations Director Vital Arts | Oakland, CA | Hybrid | $80,000-$90,000 | Apply here
- Director of Operations Cancer Pathways | Seattle, WA | Hybrid | $75,000-$90,000 | Apply here
- Program Associate, Data and Technology Compass Working Capital | Boston, MA | Hybrid | $55,590-$64,839 | Apply here
- Program & Operations Coordinator Evermore | Washington, DC | Remote | $50,000 | Apply here
|
|
|
BEFORE YOU GO
If something in here sparked a thought, I want to hear it. Just hit reply. I read every response, and I mean that.
If you're heading to 26NTC, send me a message. I'd love to connect before or after the session on Thursday.
And if this newsletter has been useful, the best thing you can do is forward it to one person who needs it.
Until next time.
Hugo
|
|
|
