The ICT Pulse Podcast turned five this week. To commemorate this milestone, we share a few of the insights we have had over the years.

 

Had I not realised it a few months ago, the milestone may have slipped me altogether. The ICT Pulse Podcast is five years old this week. On 18 April 2018, we released our first episode, and have done so every Wednesday, save except during the Christmas and New Year seasons when we take a brief hiatus. As of this week, we have released 248 episodes and had 300 guests on the show!

When we conceptualised the ICT Pulse Podcast, it was to add another dimension to the blog, ICT Pulse, by allowing us to:

  • have more direct conversations with the Caribbean tech community,
  • celebrate the ventures and initiatives that are happening in the region, and acknowledge their leaders
  • tap into the expertise existing in the region, and
  • engage in some of the tough tech-related conversations that we, in the region, should be having.

Although the market for podcasts has been growing steadily over the past several years, and inherently are audio only, the Caribbean does not appear to be as enamoured with the medium as other regions. Nevertheless, podcasting is a powerful service that we hope will continue to grow and find its place in the region.

Having said this and having the benefit of producing the ICT Pulse Podcast for five years, here are a few takeaways we would like to share.

 

1. The Caribbean region has important stories to tell

Having produced 248 episodes so far, we have not run out of topics to discuss. There are always tech issues and developments that merit further conversation. A challenge we occasionally experience is identifying or being connected to the right individuals to discuss a particular issue, or to a lesser degree, scheduling conflicts that cannot be easily resolved. With very few exceptions, people have been happy to join us on the Podcast for which we are grateful.

Also, a point that has been highlighted by digital marketers we have had on the show, is the uniqueness of the Caribbean experience, and consequently, the unique content that we can create. As Small Island Developing States, which inherently have their own unique challenge that we have to navigate, whilst still being aware of the standards expected globally, that balancing act would have shaped a perspective that others would not have, but could benefit from learning.

Recent examples of episodes that highlight this point include the following:

 

2.  There are a lot of interesting and innovative tech ventures across the region

Although to some degree, Silicon Valley’s reputation has been tarnished over the past few years, it is still seen as the hotbed of tech innovation, with the superstars of Silicon Valley being held as exemplars that Caribbean techies hope to emulate. However, what has become increasingly evident, thanks to the Podcast, is that we have several innovative ventures, which are homegrown and solving problems in their local communities or the wider region.

Recent examples of episodes that highlight this point include the following:

 

3.  There is deep knowledge and experience across the region that can be shared

It is perhaps part of the Caribbean culture: to be outward-facing and look to our more developed countries in the north for knowledge and expertise. It has thus been gratifying to point to regional experts to discuss topical issues.

To be clear and fair, these guests possessed deep knowledge and decades of experience and could not only share their domain expertise but also understood the region, and so be able to contextualise their insights and knowledge through that lens. It should therefore be no surprise that such episodes are well-received and widely downloaded.

Recent examples of episodes that highlight this point include the following:

 

4. Podcasting takes work and discipline

Although it seems as if everyone has a podcast these days, especially those in video format, what people tend to overlook is that podcasting takes effort and discipline. In the five years that the ICT Pulse Podcast has been around, we have seen Caribbean-based podcasts and Caribbean-based tech podcasts start and go dormant.

 Similar to blogging, podcasting requires consistency. The widely accepted best practice is that new content ought to be released on a regular schedule – be it daily weekly, fortnightly or even monthly. This requires preparation, planning and scheduling to juggle a podcast successfully, especially when at the start when the host and producer may have o do it all.

 

5. There is still a lot of work to be done

Finally, and nearly 250 episodes in, it feels as if we have just scratched the surface. There are still interesting innovations happening in pockets across the region of which we are not aware. Also, as close as we are as countries in terms of distance, as much as we have technology that has collapsed borders, it still feels as if we are isolated from each other. For a region as small as ours, for countries that are interdependent on each other – contrary to popular belief – there are barriers and insularity still to overcome.

Here’s to the next five years and beyond!

 

 

Image credit: ICT Pulse; Canva