A young man meets with a young lady he likes for the first time, and while exchanging pleasantries and familiarising themselves, the lady asks: “Are you a tech bro?” If the answer is in the affirmative, she will likely be swept off her feet and even give the man more attention than he thought he would get.
The aforementioned scenario is what occurs mostly nowadays with regards to tech bro. A tech bro is highly valued and respected across the world. Various governments and companies globally are employing tech bros in their numbers as they make a lot of impact through their work and earn some fantabulous (apologies to Mr Macroni) amount of salaries. They are the cynosure of all eyes for most young women, who like to have them in their corners as their friends and, possibly, their life partners.
In the same vein, the growing number of women who are also referred to as tech bros are held in high esteem and admired by their female peers and men, who will do anything to get their attention and interact with them. In short, a tech bro is one of society’s most prized human assets.
So, who is a tech bro? Why is a tech bro highly revered in the world today? How can one become a tech bro?
Meaning of tech bro
The term tech bro was initially a derogatory slang that referred to men who work in the technology sector or firms, especially in companies located in Silicon Valley, home to many startups and global technology companies. It denoted a US-born, college-educated, Patagonia-clad male whose entry-level salary at one of the FAANG companies (the five prominent American technology companies) was at least $125,000 and who frequently insists that his female co-workers give him high-fives. The term stood as a critique and slur of the male-dominated tech startup culture, especially for men with misogynistic attitudes.
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However, tech bro today is a gender-neutral term for anyone who works in the tech space. It is slang for people in the technical community. A tech bro can be a founder of a tech startup, a developer working for technology companies, or someone with technical competence working for non-technological firms.
The technology industry is one of the highest-earning and paying industries globally. According to Oxford Economics, the digital economy is worth $11.5 trillion globally. It is, therefore, not surprising that people referred to as tech bro enjoy an income and lifestyle upgrade, particularly those who work in mid-level or senior positions. Even individuals at entry level earn a decent income that is envied by their peers working in other sectors of the economy, especially during this dwindling economic power worldwide.
Most people across the world ascribe tech bro to individuals who do coding. However, coders are not the only people involved in technology. The industry also involves activities such as building products, creating excellent user experience and amicable user interface, building software and apps, analysing data, technical writing, and people who will attend to customers who use the products.
As earlier mentioned, the technology industry is a money-spinning business. Therefore, as people who earn relatively well, tech bros pay a lot of attention to their clothing and personal grooming, though they largely sidestep the sharp suits of their corporate world for a more youthful, business-casual look. Their office is either the same stark, monochrome minimalist interior design style or a wacky workplace, and they prefer to live in stylish, airy, bright houses.
Tech bro starter pack
For those who may not know, a starter pack is a set of articles or equipment providing the items and instructions essential for someone taking up a particular activity or starting a process for the first time.
Listed below are tips and simple steps for people who want to be tech bros to adapt and acclimatise to the work environment.
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Have a set of Patagonia in your closet
Most tech bros often wear Patagonia, a casual fleece, verst, or an armless jacket, to not resemble the ceremonious and formal workers seated in offices. The dress mode portrays them as laid back and relaxed. However, the minds of persons suited up in these casual wears are more business-like.
Wear turtlenecks
Since tech bros are not corporate wear-compliant, many of them replace the shirt and tie with a turtleneck. Some of them have at least three different shades of black turtlenecks.
Having an Apple wristwatch on their hands and using AirPods or earphones
Another obvious trait of tech bros is that they walk around with an Apple wristwatch strapped to their hands. They constantly scroll through their watches, as it serves as a replacement for their phones while they are outside.
This set of people can also never be caught without wearing AirPods or earphones while in their offices, jogging, or in transit. They plug the AirPods or earphones into their ears to listen to music and receive calls.
Carry laptop bag(s)
Tech bros cannot do without their laptop bags whenever they are outside. They store all the items they need in the back for mobility purposes, including laptops, hard drives, software programmes discs, power banks for their phones, phone and laptop chargers, and Internet modem.
Wear casual footwear
It is not only in terms of dressing that tech bros are semi-formal; it also extends to the type of shoes that they wear. They don casual shoes such as Allbird shoes or Chelsea boots. It helps them feel comfy and informal, matching their already-toned down wears.
Drive a nice car
Due to the relatively good salaries that they earn, a good number of tech bros across the world can make enough money to buy a car within one or two years after they start work. They can afford some brands of nice cars like Tesla, Chevrolet, Toyota Corolla or Camry, or a sedan. They do not go for the high-priced luxury cars; instead, they decide to use less attractive cars that provide them with the comfort, efficiency, and sustainability they need while on the road.
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Having a bunch of credit cards with them
Tech bros are “money bags,” but they hardly move around with physical cash. Instead, they stuff their wallet with numerous ATM cards from various banks while in transit and use them to conduct cashless transactions. And their credit cards, which are linked to their bank or cryptocurrency accounts, are fully loaded with money.
Must be working or have worked for big tech firms
This is one of the main traits of current or aspiring tech bros. Anyone who describes him or herself as a tech bro should either be working or must have worked for a big tech firm, preferably one of the FAANG companies (Alphabet [Google], Amazon, Apple, Meta [Facebook], and Microsoft). The tech giants are the dominant players in their respective areas of technology, namely: e-commerce, online advertising, consumer electronics, cloud computing, computer software, media streaming, artificial intelligence, smart home, self-driving cars, and social networking.
For people who reside outside America, the major tech firms which operate in other countries employ those skilled in technology.
Pontificate on Twitter regarding topical issues
Tech bros always have something to say about everything, pontificating about various issues on Twitter. From the mundane to the sublime, tech bros always give their two cents on anything and everything.
Huge fans of dating sites and streaming services
Tech bros are big enthusiasts of subscription streaming services. They cannot do without Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, and others on their phones.
They also utilise dating apps as their main way of dating. They have some interesting or crazy stories from their interactions with other people.
Tech bros in Nigeria
African tech startups raised $4.7 billion in 2021, according to PiggyVest, a Nigerian fintech company. Nigeria got the largest chunk of it, with its tech startups securing $1.37 billion. This signifies not only the potential but the level of growth and development of the digital economy in Nigeria, especially in the last two decades.
The advancement of technology in Nigeria since the early 2000s has fostered the growth of the technology space in the country, thereby leading to the creation of jobs for Nigerians, particularly young persons. Jobs in the tech space are emblematic of the philosophy of today’s youths: challenge the status quo of employment and create unique working conditions antithetical to the establishment’s choice.
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For example, tech bros can choose where to work: either working in segregated offices as part of a team with a 9-5 workday or getting the business done as a freelancer from the comfort of their homes. Tech bros earn relatively well in Nigeria, with a good number of the core technical specialists raking in their first millions of Naira on or before they turn 30.
The growing number of Nigerians finding themselves in the tech space has been largely aided by the fact that tech jobs, unlike some other lucrative professions, do not require many years of schooling and professional training for people to become competent in the field. There are many tech firms/startups in Nigeria, such as Andela, Co-creation Hub, Flutterwave, Cowrywise, Paystack, Jobberman, Chipper Cash, and PiggyVest. Asides from these mentioned companies, firms in the media, communications, health, sports, and financial sectors also engage the services of tech bros on a large scale.
It is, however, not all that rosy for tech bros in Nigeria. They face a plethora of issues, including:
- Erratic government policies
- Harassment by police officers (labelled as suspected fraudsters for carrying laptops, wearing dreadlocks/stylish hair, driving posh cars, and having piercings)
- Poor electricity supply
- Contractual and payment issues with employers and/or clients
- Low Internet penetration and unreliable data services
- Lack of spare parts (especially for those that deal with hardware engineering)
How to become a tech bro
Persons who are fascinated and interested in all things tech can use the following steps to become a tech bro:
- Conduct detailed research on your area of interest in tech
- Familiarise yourself with the terminologies and lingo of technology
- Learn a tech skill related to your current industry or hobby
- Get certified by attending relevant tech courses and acquiring certificates
- Read a book or watch a movie that aligns with your interests in the tech industry
- Join both physical and online tech communities/platforms for learning and networking purposes
- Apply for and grab internship opportunities
- Offer freelancing services to enable you to get busy by building projects while waiting for your dream job
- Showcase your finished projects on your social media pages to attract potential employers and/or clients
- Network with people by attending meetups and career fairs, as well as talk to people about your interests in the tech space
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