Navigating New Tech: Simple Watch Strategies

Introduction

Tracking emerging technologies early in your career is crucial: it future-proofs your path by keeping your skills sharp; guides smarter choices, whether you’re selecting a new framework or deciding on your next certification; and trains your creativity.

I believe creativity is a muscle that needs regular training, and sometimes resting even. Humans tend to jail themselves inside their own comfort zones. That’s why I want to share some ideas to maintain a robust tech watch, even with limited time and resources.

So let's begin the yapping! 👉👈

YouTube: The modern library of Alexandria?

The Youtube platform is a giant among the giants: 2,5 billion monthly active users, and over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute. It’s like an ocean full of treasure islands, with some islands bigger than others.

As a native French speaker, we have a lot of great content creators and I feel very lucky already. But to be fair, when it comes to tech, you can't hide from English content for very long. So you might as well get used to it!

So, here is a small selection of content creators, English and French speakers, that definitely deserve your attention if you want to stay up to date with the latest tech trends and innovations.

• Two Minute Papers(Dr. Károly Zsolnai-Fehér) – breaks down the latest AI research into digestible 2–3-minute videos.
• StatQuest(Josh Starmer) – charming, step-by-step explanations of statistics and machine learning concepts.
• Sentdex(Harrison Kinsley) – friendly, project-based Python tutorials that simplify complex data workflows.
• Data Professor(Chunwei) – clear, hands-on demos of popular data science tools and techniques.
• AI Coffee Break with Letitia– bite-sized chats on AI concepts perfect for a quick morning read.
• Defend Intelligence– analysis, popularization and monitoring of cybersecurity, AI and tech (FR).

These creators make cutting-edge topics approachable, whether you have two minutes or an afternoon to learn.

Side Projects: Learning by Doing

Practical side projects enhance your skills and creativity through hands-on experience. Not only do they teach you new technologies, but they're also a great way to develop your soft skills, such as time management, writing documentations (we really have to do it, yes!), project management.

In our daily job, the projects we're working on are often already big and complex, so we don't really know what's like to start from scratch, wich is really valuable. On the other hande, the challenge is to have enough discipline to focus on one project at a time, and not to get lost in the sea of possibilities.

Here are some examples of side projects I'm currently working on or have worked on in the past:

• V4ult: a safe custom password manager. Allowed me to learn about encryption, mobile app development with Flutter, and user experience design.
• 2%: a sandbox project where I'm trying different strategies in order to predict the stock market. It’s a great way to improve my self on various subjects like data analysis, algorithms, and financial markets.
• This very website : a personal blog where I share my thoughts and experiences. It’s a great way to practice writing, web development, and also to connect with other people who share my interests . It's great to have a place where you can organize your thoughts.

X: Building Your Thematic Ecosystem

X (formerly Twitter) lets you build your own thematic ecosystem: it delivers real-time updates and diverse viewpoints by following experts. It has a great community aspect and you can learn a lot of things by reading one's post and all the replies below.

To get the most out of it, follow key influencers for expert insights; create lists to neatly categorize topics; and engage with trending hashtags to tap into wider discussions.

Here are some top notches people to follow:

• @TechCrunch - For the latest tech news.
• @fchollet Keras creator, deep learning researcher
• @paulg - For startup and innovation discussions.
• @benedictevans - For deep dives into tech trends.

LinkedIn: Insights from the Industry

LinkedIn provides direct insights into companies and industries: it enhances your professional network by following influential companies; expands your expertise by joining professional groups; and nurtures meaningful dialogue by engaging with industry leaders. And it's a great tool to connect with people of the industry.

On a side note though, I have to say that I don't like a part of the LinkedIn culture, where people are trying to sell you their services or products all the time. So you'll definitely need to filter out the noise and focus on the content that matters to you.

Conclusion

Those are just a few ideas, but the most important thing is to find what works for you. You need to be genuinely interested in the subject and by the supporting content, otherwise you won't be able to keep up with it. The key is to stay curious and open-minded, and to never stop learning.

I hope you enjoyed this little article, it's the first on this website, but definitely not the last one, so keep an eye on it! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn.