Is Tech Really That Complex, or Is It Just Poorly Explained?

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

For many people outside the technology industry, tech feels intimidating by default. Terms like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, application programming interfaces, and machine learning are often presented in ways that feel exclusionary. Founders hesitate to engage deeply with technical decisions, students question whether they belong in the tech space, and early-career professionals assume technology is reserved for a small group of specialists.

Across Africa, this perception is especially common. As startups scale, governments digitize services, and businesses adopt new tools, many people feel pressured to “trust the tech” without really understanding it. Over time, this creates a widespread belief that technology is simply too complex for non-technical people.

The truth is more nuanced. Technology is complex, but complexity is not the real barrier. The real issue is how tech is explained.

Why Technology Feels Harder Than It Is

Most technology is explained from an engineer’s perspective rather than from a user’s perspective. Explanations are often filled with jargon, abstract concepts, and insider language that assumes prior knowledge. Instead of starting with the problem technology solves, explanations often begin with tools, infrastructure, or features.

This approach makes even simple systems feel overwhelming. When someone does not understand the purpose of a tool or how it fits into real life, learning becomes harder than necessary. This is not unique to global tech hubs. It happens just as often in African tech ecosystems, where rapid innovation sometimes outpaces clear communication.

Complexity Does Not Mean Inaccessibility

Every system people rely on daily is complex beneath the surface. Transportation systems, electricity grids, banking networks, and even healthcare systems involve layers of technical detail most users never see. Yet people interact with these systems confidently because they understand how to use them, not how to build them.

Technology works the same way. A mobile money user in Kenya does not need to understand how payment rails work to send money with M-Pesa. A Nigerian small business owner using Paystack does not need to know how payment gateways are engineered to accept online payments. What matters is clarity around what the system does, when it works, and how to use it safely.

When technology is explained through outcomes instead of abstractions, complexity becomes manageable.

Using Technology Is Not the Same as Building It

One of the biggest misconceptions about tech is the belief that effective use requires deep technical knowledge. In reality, using technology and building technology are very different skill sets.

A founder running an e-commerce store in Lagos does not need to understand database architecture to use analytics tools to track sales. A startup team in Nairobi does not need to know how artificial intelligence models are trained to use AI tools for customer support or marketing automation. A student learning data skills in Accra does not need to become a software engineer to work with dashboards or digital platforms.

Most people need functional understanding, not engineering mastery. They need to know what a tool does, what input it requires, what output it produces, and what problem it solves. Confusing these two levels of knowledge is one of the main reasons tech feels inaccessible.

The Role of Tech Culture in Creating Confusion

Technology culture itself also plays a role in making tech seem harder than it is. In many spaces, technical language has become a marker of intelligence or expertise rather than a tool for communication. This creates environments where asking basic questions feels risky, even when those questions are necessary.

In emerging African tech ecosystems, this can be especially limiting. As more young people enter tech through coding bootcamps, startup hubs, and innovation programs, unclear explanations can discourage capable individuals who might otherwise thrive. When complexity is treated as a badge of honor, clarity becomes undervalued.

What Founders and Business Owners Actually Need

For founders and business owners, being non-technical does not mean being disengaged. Their role is not to write code but to make informed decisions about technology. This includes understanding how systems support growth, what trade-offs exist, and where risks may appear.

African startups scaling in fintech, health tech, logistics, and e-commerce increasingly rely on digital infrastructure. Founders who understand technology at a functional level are better equipped to work with developers, evaluate vendors, and avoid costly mistakes. Clear explanations turn technology from a black box into a strategic asset.

Learning Tech as a Student or Early-Career Professional

For students and early-career professionals, tech often appears overwhelming because it is presented as a vast and unforgiving field. In reality, most people working in tech learned gradually through practice and exposure. Concepts become easier once they are explained in plain language and connected to real-world use cases.

Across Africa, many professionals are entering tech from non-traditional backgrounds, including finance, health, education, and communications. What enables this transition is not exceptional intelligence but access to clear explanations and practical learning pathways. When tech education focuses on understanding rather than memorization, confidence follows naturally.

So, Is Tech Really Complex?

Yes, technology is complex. But complexity alone does not make something inaccessible. Technology becomes intimidating only when it is poorly explained and stripped of context.

With clear communication, practical examples, and problem-focused explanations, tech becomes manageable for founders, students, and non-technical professionals alike. As Africa’s digital economy continues to grow, making technology understandable will be just as important as building it.

When tech is treated as a tool rather than a secret language, more people can participate meaningfully in shaping the systems that define modern life.