Slow Tech, Fast Burnout: Where Do We Go From Here?

I’ve spent the last 15 years working at the intersection of tech for good, tech for development, and ICT4D, helping bring technology solutions to countries, communities, and people that I genuinely believed could benefit from them.

But lately, I keep asking myself: what’s the point of all this? What are we building, and more importantly, who are we building it for?

The Slow Web Dream (and the Reality We're In)

About a decade ago, I came across a essay about the “Slow Web” movement by Jack Cheng. Jack was hoping for a healthier relationship with tech, one where it served us, not the other way around. He gave the example of a tool that would email you each evening asking, “What did you do today?” You’d reply, and it would quietly track your progress. No push notifications, no dopamine hacks, no dark patterns. I think it was called I Done This.

It was a perfect example of user-centric, non-invasive tech. Tech that shows up when you need it, not tech that tries to claw your attention 24/7.

Fast forward to today, and Jack published a follow-up post. His message? That battle is over, and attention-hungry algorithms have won. Social media, ad networks, engagement loops...they’ve shaped a version of the internet that’s driven more by capturing eyeballs than by helping people.

TikTok is maybe the most obvious example of a hyper-personalized content engine designed to keep you scrolling mindlessly. And let’s be honest: it works.

So... What Are We Really Building?

All of this has me questioning the tools I’m building, the ideas I’m bringing to communities, and what impact they’re actually having.

I wouldn’t say I’m jaded. Just... tired.

In so many tech-for-good or govtech projects, the buyer is usually a government agency or a funder. And so, the tools we build are designed for them, not for the people who actually use them.

You end up with a laundry list of admin features, dashboards, and reporting tools, but very little of the actual product is designed for end users. It’s not user-centered. It’s not human. And in the end, the people we claim to be serving are stuck with systems that weren’t built with them in mind.

Meanwhile, in the private sector, user-centered design is the norm — not because companies are more ethical, but because their bottom line depends on it. Engagement, impressions, conversions, these are real engagement metrics that shape product design. So ironically, they often do a better job designing usable tools.

But in public sector tech, user needs are often an afterthought. And for someone like me, who’s spent a career advocating for user-first design...it’s exhausting.

Missing the Build

Here’s the thing: I still love tech.

I love experimenting with new tools. I love mentoring early-stage ventures through UNICEF. I love helping friends sketch out MVPs or spin up quick proof-of-concept apps. I love coding things that are fun, useful, and just a little weird.

But as I’ve moved further up in my career, I’ve hit that classic fork in the road: stay technical or go managerial.

And if I’m honest, I miss coding. I miss building things with my own hands. I miss the creative process — the messy ideation, the logic puzzles, the little rush when something finally works.

That spark is harder to find in slide decks, budgets, or impact reports.

So What Now?

I don’t have a clean answer. I just know I’m tired.

Tired of the industry. Tired of building things that don’t serve the people they claim to serve. Tired of seeing engagement metrics outweigh real impact.

But I’m not done.

I still believe in technology as a force for good, if we’re willing to slow down, ask better questions, and build for real people.

So maybe the next chapter looks different. Smaller. Slower. More hands-on. I don’t know.

But I’m listening for what’s next.