I like to keep my finger on the pulse of new technologies and emerging trends, but it’s easier said than done. One of the ways I do it is by catching up with early-stage founders who are building in that space. The founders in the early days of launching a company are typically as close to ground level as you can get. They’re usually hands on keyboard and in the weeds of everything. Hearing how they’re applying new technologies and what positives and negatives they’ve experienced helps me understand things from a practical perspective. I also try to make sure these conversations are bidirectional by providing feedback on anything that’s on the top of their mind (that I can help with).

I’ve found that this is a great approach to staying abreast of new things and maintaining relationships with and giving back to early founders.