How I Went from Flipcharts to Global Webinars: A Life Lived in Constant Adaptation

A personal journey through decades of tech evolution, from flipcharts to webinars, showing how adapting to change in tech mirrors adapting in life.

As I sit here, looking at my sleek smartphone, it’s hard not to marvel at how far we’ve come. Technology has taken us from the clunky, dial-up days of rotary phones to a time where I can attend meetings across the globe with just a tap of my screen. For someone like me, who grew up in the 1970s, it’s been a breathtaking journey—and one that’s deeply intertwined with life’s broader theme of transformation and adaptation.

I remember my first phone vividly—a heavy black desktop set with a rotary dial. I would spend time just playing with that dial, watching it spin back into place after every number. When we finally got push-button phones, it felt like the future had arrived. But I never could have imagined that the future would also involve me holding a tiny device in my hand, capable of doing everything from connecting me to loved ones to managing my business.

My first mobile phone came in 1998—a bulky Ericsson with a tiny screen that was more of a novelty than a necessity back then. Fast forward to today, and my phone is essentially an extension of me. It’s the first thing I reach for in the morning, even before greeting my spouse—a reality that speaks volumes about how our lives have evolved.

But it’s not just the phones that have changed. The way we work, present, and connect with the world has been completely reimagined. I remember the days when presentations meant manually creating flipcharts or painstakingly hand-drawing sheets. My boss would send me into the office with acetate sheets for the overhead projector (OHP). These were fragile things that could smudge or wrinkle if handled carelessly. The anxiety of aligning those sheets during a presentation was real! And don’t even get me started on the slide projectors, which involved organizing endless trays of slides and praying nothing went out of sequence.

Then came PowerPoint. The shift from hand-drawn charts to sleek, professional slides was a game-changer. I no longer had to worry about smudging ink or mixing up slides—everything was neatly organized on a computer. Today, we've taken another leap. Presentations now happen in real time, across multiple locations. With a click of a button, I can conduct a meeting with people from five different countries, share screens, collaborate, and even troubleshoot, all without ever leaving my office.

The evolution of technology didn’t just change how I presented myself at work—it completely transformed how I crafted my professional identity. I still remember my very first CV, handwritten on lined paper. Every word was chosen with care, and penmanship was crucial—it had to look neat and professional. Then came typewriters, and I embraced the satisfying clack-clack of keys as I prepared a more polished version of my resume. Making a mistake meant reaching for correction fluid and starting again, so every word had to be right the first time. Now? CVs have become digital masterpieces, often linked to QR codes that direct potential employers to video resumes or interactive portfolios. The old paper CV has given way to a dynamic digital identity that tells a story far beyond qualifications.

It’s not just professional life where these changes have taken root. Entertainment is another area where the shift has been astounding. I grew up in a world of black-and-white televisions with just a handful of channels. We eagerly waited for weekly shows like Chitrahaar, where Bollywood songs were showcased. Today, we live in an age where video-on-demand is the norm. My phone, my computer, my TV—they all suggest shows based on my preferences, and I can watch whatever I want, whenever I want. The idea of “waiting” for content is completely foreign to the current generation.

What fascinates me most is how all these transitions—from desktops with black screens to sleek tablets, from handwritten CVs to interactive digital portfolios, from manual presentations to global webinars—are mirrors of life’s bigger picture. Life, like technology, is always evolving, always adapting. And just like those moments of frustration with a typewriter’s error or a flipchart’s misalignment, life throws challenges our way, forcing us to adapt and find better solutions.

What I’ve learned over the years is this: change is inevitable, and resisting it only leaves you behind. The tools we use may change, but the essence remains the same. Whether it’s a flipchart or a PowerPoint, a handwritten CV or a video resume, what truly matters is how we connect with others and how we choose to present ourselves. Life, much like technology, is about constant reinvention.

For those of us who have lived through these transitions, it’s easy to feel nostalgic. But I don’t miss the past. I cherish the memories, yes, but I also look forward to the future. I dream of a world where technology becomes even more intuitive, where perhaps the computer will gauge my mood and play the perfect song or draft the ideal presentation based on my emotions.

The key lesson, though, is that this evolution isn’t just limited to gadgets. Life itself has evolved—our priorities, our values, the way we communicate. And in both life and tech, adaptation is not optional; it’s necessary. The world keeps moving forward, and if we want to thrive, we need to move with it.

So here’s my takeaway: embrace the change. Whether it’s in technology or in life, adapting to what’s new doesn’t mean forgetting where you came from. It means building on the past to create something better for the future. We can’t stop the clock, but we can make sure that as it ticks forward, we’re ticking right along with it—wiser, more adaptable, and ready for whatever comes next.

I’d love to hear how you’ve adapted to the changes in your own life. Let’s keep the conversation going on Twitter or Facebook.

– Amit Gope, Coach and Mentor

Categories: : Soft Skills