Why Nerds Are Good For Business

Blame it on the internet or the evolution of consumer gadgets or whatever you want to blame it on but in today’s business world, being a nerd is an asset! Being a little off kilter, a little different is something clients and (many) employers are seeking out! Blending in and matching the status quo have become a burden on your business and being a little bit nerdy (or a lot nerdy) is where it’s at!

Why is this? What is it about nerdiness that adds that special ingredient for success? Well, here’s one nerds two bits on the matter…

Nerds are Inspiring!

Part of being a nerd has to do with having some strong opinions on whatever it is you’re nerdy for — be it Star Wars, video games or typography — nerds pride themselves on knowing a lot about what they are into and your opinions on the matter are part of your identity.

Working with someone who is nerdy about their chosen profession makes any consumer experience infinitely more enjoyable than getting service from someone just “doing their job.”

When shopping for new eyeglasses for myself I encountered this for myself and I could not stop talking about it! In the past I had always bought my glasses from the closest LensCrafters and it was a perfectly adequate experience. I truly have nothing bad to say about this company, they had a nice selection of styles, everyone was always very polite and it was always convenient to stop in and get my frames adjusted whenever I needed to.

This past year I shopped for glasses at 2 separate locally owned Seattle businesses for frames (Seattle Vision Clinic and Eyes on Fremont) and the experience I had at both of these places made something that in the past was nothing more than a necessary task into a remarkable experience! How? The people at these locations were total eye wear nerds!

This is a sect of nerd I was not even aware existed, but they were really excited to talk with me about what I wanted, what I liked and what I didn’t like. They were able to suggest ideas based on my face shape and style, they knew about eye wear designers, frame shapes, materials, vintage styles and their enthusiasm for the subject was infectious!

When you are passionate about what you do, you inspire the people around you – and who doesn’t want to work with someone inspiring!?

Nerds are Authentic

Part of being nerdy is accepting yourself for who you are and what you are into even if isn’t what fits into the status quo or flow into the mainstream. Those who are able to embrace their nerdisms and not be ashamed of them have this obvious badge of honesty.

Whether it is real or imagined, if someone can be totally open and honest about their Red Dwarf obsession, you feel they are probably transparent about other things in their life, like business practices and ethics.

Nerds are Memorable

Nerds are usually stand out from the crowd… and being unique makes you easier to remember, as simple as that. It is each of our unique experiences and abilities that make us valuable individuals, blending in has become a liability to any business trying to be remarkable!

What do you think?

Are you a nerd? Have you had experience working with, buying from or being served by a nerd?

5 comments

  1. Nice article. I like how once the nerds or geeks were seen as the outcasts, now its totally flipped on its head as they (us) can provide the solution to the problem effectively and as you say “the experience will be more enjoyable”. I wouldn’t call myself a nerd or a geek if you wanted to go down the stereotypical route of a nerd/geek but I absolutely love design in all forms and love learning more.

  2. I dig nerds. There is an article in Wired magazine on how Nerds are running the world.

    Bill Gates once said something along this line, be nice to nerd because one day you will work for them.

  3. Today’s nerd are so much different from the past. You can be trendy nerd too. It’s does not matter how you look like or how you do it. What’s matter is the end result which has to be successful of course.

    Thanks.

    1. Aidan,
      It’s true the perception of the word has broadened! It used to be just be mathmaticians, or sci-fi enthusiasts, but nowdays – I see it as anyone who is REALLY into any subject. My brother is a total sports history nerd, I have a friends who are horror movie nerds, or music nerds. It’s taking your strong interest of something a little further into the realm where it becomes something that shapes your lifestyle.

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