These days, it feels like every startup is labeling itself as a “tech company,” often paired with buzzwords like “green,” “clean,” or “sustainable.” While sustainability is a critical effort for our survival as a species, the overuse of the “tech” label has become a trend that’s lost some of its meaning.
Let’s be clear: using software doesn’t make you a tech company. Just because a business model relies on software, or even provides tools for other businesses, doesn’t automatically make it “tech.” If you’re building apps or running a SaaS company, that doesn’t necessarily qualify either.
Not Tech
- E-commerce
- SaaS
- E-health
- Influencers
- Fashion & Beauty
- FemTech (most cases)
- Social media platforms
Tech
- Science-based innovation
- Photovoltaics and batteries
- Novel materials
- Generative AI etc.
- Software tools for developers
- Clean Tech
E-commerce, for example, isn’t tech. It’s simply an evolution of the traditional mail-order business model, using the internet to execute faster and more efficiently. The fundamentals haven’t changed much, just the execution.
Booking a doctor’s appointment online or having a telehealth consultation doesn’t make a company “tech” either. It makes it a modern health business, bringing digital tools to a traditionally slow-moving market.
And as for influencers? They’re definitely not tech. Honestly, I’m still unsure what they actually are or what lasting value they bring. What I do know is that this industry seems packed with people who overestimate their contribution to society.
Bottom line: don’t call a company a tech company just because they use tech. They have to make tech. Period.
Lämna ett svar