Ari Kaplan - Tech Tasker

Ari Kaplan epitomizes that type of person that we know as a "multi-tasker".  Take a look at his website and you'll see what I mean.

Not too long ago, Ari was a lawyer at a major law firm here in NYC.  But his aspirations lay elsewhere and so he has moved on.  Ari has published over 100 articles, runs a consulting business in the field of marketing for lawyers, has over a dozen speaking engagements booked for 2007 (so far), and is a radio and TV commentator, a continuing legal education instructor, and filmmaker.  Oh yes, he is also a CEO of a media company.  And speaks Japanese.  Before you ask, let me say that I am describing just one person, who has a wife and child as well!

Lest you think that Ari is just a dabbler, you should know that everything he does, he does with intelligence and diligence.  The question that I have is, could a person like Ari Kaplan have existed as recently as 20 years ago?  Certainly not 50 years ago. 

Technology is the great enabler here.  It allows someone to put out work wherever they happen to be.  Ari could be writing his articles at home, at a Starbucks before a meeting, or on the train ride into Manhattan.  In most of these venues, if he needs to do a bit of research, he simply accesses the Internet using the same computer on which he is writing his article without missing a beat.  No visit to the library required. 

Technology has made film making a lot more accessible to the masses.  The cameras are cheaper, smaller and easier to operate.  Film editing can be done on a PC with software that won't cost a fortune, although it still can be a very time consuming task and requires some skill and experience if you want a truly first-rate product. 

Email allows Ari to communicate with people and schedule his many events without having to reach people on the phone or use snail mail.  Email also makes submission of an article a chore that takes two minutes instead of an hour if we include a walk to the post office.  And let's not forget that word processing software makes writing anything a lot less labor intensive than the old fashioned typewriter (I still have an Olivetti portable (non-electric) sitting in my closet - just in case).

So is Ari a new breed of worker emerging in the 21st century?  I certainly think so.  Ari is not the only technology multi-tasker (shall we coin a new phrase here?  how about "tech tasker"?) that I know.  Take a look at the website of Erik J. Heels.

How will this new breed of worker change society?  I don't know, but it will be fascinating to watch.

Comments

[Marci]

Loved this post! I've been immersed in the subject of what I call "slash" careers for several years now (lawyer/filmmaker/lecturer etc.), profiling and speaking about the Aris of the world. You have hit it on the head with the reasons why. You can learn more at www.heymarci.com.

[Michael Dickson]

You mean that, uh, high-technology has changed our world??