Kaizo Live – 10 years of diginomica

Catch up on our latest edition of Kaizo Live, where Director Steph Macleod celebrated 10 successful years of diginomica with Stuart Lauchlan, Co-founder, and Derek du Preez, Co-owner and Editor. At its core, diginomica prioritises ease of access to information that matters in the tech world, empowering buyers and industry professionals to stay up-to-date with the most meaningful events, products and solutions. We wanted to know how the platform has remained true to its values of honesty and reliability, and what the future holds for both diginomica and the tech media industry as a whole. Key highlights from the discussion are below, but watch the full stream for more valuable insights.

 What was the founding vision of diginomica and how has it evolved?

It started as all great ideas do, in a bar, late at night, after a good moan. After lamenting about the state of the world and how much better things could be done with the right people responsible, Stuart and now retired Co-founder Dennis decided to put actions to their words. Back then, and even now, it was common for publications to join the race with content intended to generate clicks rather than focus on quality. But that wasn’t what diginomica wanted to align to. Authenticity and a reduction of friction between the reader and information were, and still are, the publication’s core principles.

How have you managed to maintain your reputation for unbiased reporting?

There will always be an industry agenda that businesses will have to contribute to in some degree – like new technology announcements or legislation. However, providing content that isn’t usually found elsewhere and staying true to that since day one is what’s really important. Part of it is also down to working with individuals who have their own reputation to maintain and respecting their work. Investing in meaningful editorial content is top priority.

How do you stay ahead of the curve, given your longer form and thoughtful approach to stories?

Keeping the right people around will always help. diginomica has developed a good sense for what is worth following and what isn’t valuable to the readers, so paying attention to the wider picture is essential. The publication covers topics that a lot of other sites wouldn’t consider relevant to tech, but doing so has ended up crucial to diginomica’s success.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming journalists that want to establish a platform?

Luckily, it’s easier now than it was 10 years ago. The toughest bit is the amount of hard work it takes to raise your voice above others. Make sure you surround yourself with a team that you respect and can disagree with, but won’t fall out with. You should know your values from day one and stick to them. Don’t let money, opportunities or risks get in the way. Know the core focus and develop knowledge and expertise in that area; a lot of people get too distracted by what’s going on around them.

For more insights from the discussion, and to hear what’s next for the publication and the industry, watch the full episode here, hosted by Kaizo Director Steph Macleod. Plus, browse our previous episodes here.