Think in terms of “tech” vs “non-tech” people? It’s time to stop

Every day, I think about how I’m not technical enough. Sure, I’ve got a degree in IT, a handful of cloud and cybersecurity certifications, and some projects under my belt. But put me in a mixer with seasoned professionals, and I struggle not to wilt on the spot. 

How could I possibly measure up to the people running enterprise cloud migrations, building machine learning pipelines, or leading cybersecurity teams? What makes me qualified to even write about this? 

But here’s the thing: this feeling isn’t just about me—it’s everywhere. Whether you realize it or not, most of us split people into “tech” and “non-tech,” without thinking about the consequences.

For example:

• When asking for help (“Can you fix my phone? I’m not a tech person like you.”)

• When offering support (“They’re a non-tech person—I’d better simplify.”)

• When evaluating our own careers (“I’m just an imposter. They’re the real expert.”)

• When hiring (“They interviewed well, but I’m not sure they’re technical enough.”)

• When leading IT staff (“Do I have enough current tech knowledge, or am I just an imposter?”)

To quote Qui-Gon Jinn, there’s always a bigger fish. 

When we label people as “technical” or “non-technical,” we fuel impostor syndrome, reinforce gatekeeping, and miss out on the real breadth of people’s skills. For organizations, this translates to missed or bad hires, narrow candidate pools, and wasted potential.

In this article, I’ll explain why it’s time to discard the “tech person” label—and share better ways to recognize and value people’s actual abilities.

Why the term “tech person” is bad 

1. Nobody can agree on what qualifies as “tech”

Who qualifies as technical? 

• Is it a cybersecurity lawyer who can give legal advice on a data breach, but doesn’t know how to install Windows? 

• Is it someone who can repair a TV, like an electronic technician? 

• Does a kid troubleshooting an iPhone count? How about Linux? 

• What if you took a class on coding fundamentals? 

• What about a sales person who intimately knows their SOP SaaS solution? 

• Or is it only if you’re hired in IT?

Depending on who you ask, all, some, or none of these could qualify. This means you’re being measured by different yardsticks by different people. 

2. Not knowing if you qualify creates imposter syndrome

Since everyone’s got different criteria for if you’re “technically qualified,” you’re never sure if you meet it. This creates anxiety, because you’re never really sure if the person you’re talking to thinks your knowledge and abilities are up to standard. 

That continues even when you’re a seasoned professional, because as I said, there’s always someone who knows more than you.

3. It creates an “us” and “them” mentality

In IT, it can be tempting to use “non-tech stakeholders” as shorthand for those outside of the field. Most people consider it a good way to flag the need to explain things in simple, accessible terms. It can also be a helpful way to think about who should get certain permissions, so they don’t clumsily destroy something they’re not ready for.

However, it also acts as a form of tribalism, where IT teams refuse to delegate because other departments are “not technical enough” to handle anything under their domain, such as data, AI, cloud resources, or simple automation tools.

That blocks collaboration, eliminates different perspectives, slows down innovation, and reinforces artificial barriers between the teams—saying that only certain people are “qualified” to handle this technology. 

And yes, many people are not, and this is certainly not an argument for dismissing things like the principle of least privilege! But this sort of thinking misses a vital thing…

4. It ignores the ability of people to learn skills 

Spoiler: People can learn things. Just because someone is in a traditionally non-IT role like sales or administration does not mean they are incapable of being a “tech person.” In fact, there have been examples of people who have risen from being janitors or airplane pilots to CISOs.

The ability to learn—and being a good culture fit—is usually far more important than having hard skills. Why? You can learn specific technical skills over time, but soft skills are harder to develop (though not impossible.) 

Saying someone is a “tech person” or “non-tech person” implies that it’s an inherent, fixed trait, rather than something they can learn.

5. Technical skills come with a vague expiration date

Every technical skill you learn is going to expire at some point. It doesn’t matter if it’s a programming language, framework, cloud service, or some cybersecurity best practice. The field is constantly evolving—which is another reason continuous learning is such a vital skill.

This is another cause of imposter syndrome. Why? Because once again, you’re never really sure when that time will come. Is it when you’re talking about C++, and everyone else is gushing about Rust? Chatting about on-prem servers when everyone’s chatting cloud? It could be tomorrow, when the conversation turns to prompt-driven coding and agentic AI.

It leads to a situation where you’re always wondering, “Am I enough?”

6. The term implies overall tech knowledge, but most know a narrow slice

Tech is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. Just in software development alone, there’s 17 different career paths! Many are mutually exclusive. Just because someone is proficient in making apps doesn’t mean they are any good at cybersecurity tasks, training AI, or repairing someone’s computer. 

Why does that matter? Because when many people label someone as a “tech person,” they generalize someone’s skill set, and it’s a lot more nuanced. Most IT professionals know the pain of being asked to fix someone’s printer due to this wild generalization. 

What to do instead of using the term “tech person.”

By now, you might be thinking, “but if I don’t call someone a tech or non-tech person, what do I do instead?” (Or you’re not convinced, and still reading anyway) Here’s a number of things you can do instead.

1. Refer to someone’s specific skills or job area

Pretty simple—just say what they actually know or do. For example, instead of saying

 “He is a tech person” (An imagined trait) you might say “He is a cloud professional” (What they do) or “He really knows cloud computing.” (What they know)

NOTE: If you don’t know enough about what someone does to sum it up, ask! Most people like to talk about what they do.

2. Avoid negative constructions, like “not a tech person” or “non-techie”

Rather than saying something like “communicating to technical and non-technical stakeholders,” say “communicating to stakeholders.” Why even divide them?

For yourself, don’t define yourself by what you don’t know. Instead of saying “I’m not a tech person,” think about what you do know or do, such as “I’m a lawyer” or “I’m more knowledgeable in cloud computing than AI.” This puts a positive mental spin and helps focus on your strengths.

3. Broaden your understanding of what counts as a “technical” person

Remember how I gave a list of people who may or may not be technical? Adopt the attitude of “They all are.” If someone is a lawyer, this is a highly technical job! If a project manager can juggle large workloads, that’s technical. And yes, a teenager who can troubleshoot an iPhone is demonstrating technical skills.

In the end, “technical” just means “involving or needing special skills or knowledge.” All of the above qualify.

Hellen Patton, Cybersecurity Advisor at Cisco, did a great talk on this at RSAC called "Are you Technical? Proving Competency in Cyber." I'd highly recommend watching it, even if you're not in cybersecurity. It's particularly worth your time if you're a hiring manager or IT leader.

4. Hire for potential, not just for previous experience

If you ever think of a candidate “I’m not sure they’re technically qualified,” instead ask yourself, “Could they become qualified, and could we be the awesome employer who gave them that chance?” A continuous learner who fits the culture well is a better hire than an experienced expert who lacks cultural alignment. 

Look for other great traits like curiosity, adaptability, and problem-solving. Hire internal or external career switchers, bootcamp grads, and self-taught folks.

5. Stop thinking about how there’s a right or wrong way to use technology

Just because someone is using a different framework doesn’t mean they’re less authentic than you. Conversely, just because you’re not using the latest cutting-edge solution doesn’t mean you’re any less for it. You can build amazing solutions in many different ways. 

6. Don’t avoid the world “tech” altogether

Yes, the term “tech person” should be retired, but the word “technical” is fine. You’ll still need to refer to the “tech sector,” “tech skills,” and “technology,” as these are all real things. While it’s better to be specific, there are times when it’s not always practical. Like everything in life, practice moderation.

Conclusion: Replace labels with learning potential

In this article, you’ve learned why the term “tech person” can limit measuring a person’s proper skills, contribute to imposter syndrome and gatekeeping, and learned some alternative methods you can use to better identify talent (all while enjoying some lighthearted memes.)