How computer training can make you a better leader

Meet Peter Borum: he is the co-founder and CEO of Reelio, and a millennial. His company is engaged in the “art and science” of influencer marketing, trusted by brands like Target, Visa, Clinique and others. Specifically, their mission is to help online video creators and brands work together more effectively.

But before launching the business, Borum took a keen interest in computer science and technology, even earning a degree in music, science and technology at Stanford. He attributes much of his business success to this technology background. In this article, he explains why.

A CS background lets you see the world from a different perspective

“Having a computer background gives you a different way of seeing the world,” says Borum. He refers to a quote from Arthur C. Clarke, who said that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

This quote, Borum explains, accurately reflects many people’s relationship with technology. Computer programs and web pages “work”, although many people have no idea why. “It might sound silly to say,” Borum continues, “but in the same vein as what Clarke was describing, having an understanding and mastery of this technology almost gives you magical powers. You can just do certain things yourself that most people can’t.

Increased problem-solving skills – seeing solutions to problems others cannot

A different way of seeing the world often also means a different approach to problem-solving, Borum says. “Having a solid foundation in CS also allows you to see options for changing or improving things that others see as more or less fixed.”

This is exactly what led Borum to develop Reelio: “The process by which most companies created branded content… was very manual. It was clearly suboptimal from our perspective, and some of the ways to improve it were pretty obvious. This information would not have been possible without computer training.

Allows you to automate tasks and procedures and save valuable employee time

“Whenever I see members of our team getting bogged down in repetitive processes that I know a computer could do better and faster than a person, I try to automate it,” Borum explains. “For example, I have automated much of the business metrics reporting that we need to understand the health of our business by automatically extracting and processing data from a number of different applications. “

Acts as an outlet for creativity

Since Borum’s major music is very present, it’s no surprise that he appreciates the artistic side of life as well. “What I love about both programming and music is that they allow you to create amazingly creative, complex, and beneficial things seemingly out of thin air – no additional hardware is required, just your own. brain and a keyboard in front of you. “

The programming and the music also allow a deep and resolute immersion in the creative process. “They demand that you be deeply focused and in the moment to make things work well, and I find this state of flux extremely satisfying.”

Improves communication at all levels.

“I think two of the most important things in business are communication and the ability to instill confidence in your employees, investors and end users,” Borum says. How does IT work? “Being able to translate strategic goals into language that the sales team and the engineering team can understand is really helpful in fostering good communication. Being able to speak confidently about the details of business and technical considerations also helps build confidence. “

Borum concludes our interview by noting that different things work for different people. “There are a lot of amazing business leaders who don’t know the first thing about computer programming, so I don’t think that’s a prerequisite for success,” he says. “But I think it was invaluable to me.”