#209 - Technology Is Not The Answer

But here's the really strange thing that I'm starting to realize.

I'm not convinced technology is the answer.

In fact, I don't believe technology is the answer.

And in many ways, I'm more convinced of that today than I've ever been.

If we're actually going to change the irrigation industry, I think the number one is people.

It's you People like you who care, people like you who are curious, people like you who ask questions, who are willing to teach, who are willing to give an honest answer.

It was people like Paul that did it for me.

Number two, after people, might actually be mechanical technology.

And that's, that's like a oxymoron, mechanical and technology, but yeah, mechanical technology, the simple things, physical things, things that solve the problem right where the problem happens.

What if there was a flow stop under a sprinkler? And we could debate this, whether it would work or not work, but what if there was just a mechanical flow stop under a sprinkler? So if the nozzle broke off or a lawnmower chopped the turret off a rotor, the flow stop would mechanically stop that geyser.

No technology needed, no flow sensors.

Again, I'm just brain sharing here.

I've done a little bit of engineering work to know that this is possible.

But when you think about what it takes to put a flow sensor in, set up the sensitivity for the flow sensor not to react to false alarms, we, we, we've been trying this for 25 years and really haven't gotten anywhere.

So I'm more convinced than ever that the, that the technology is not the solution that is going to fix that one broken sprinkler.

Well, maybe I'll rephrase that.

It's not the digital technology.

I think it needs to be more of a mechanical technology.

Put a flow stop under the sprinkler.

So when the sprinkler breaks, the water stops.

I think that's fucking brilliant.

It doesn't need wifi.

It doesn't need a dashboard.

There's no firmware update.

Nobody needs to remember their password.