Abstract

"The Use of History in Business and Tech: What I Learned While Interviewing Industry Professionals"

Patryk Babiracki, University of Texas, Arlington (patrykjb@gmail.com)

In 2023, I set out to explore the value of historical thinking in business and technology. Through launching the "Practical History" podcast, my goal was to address the lack of information about how historical training can be applied in these fields—and its broader potential to help solve real-world problems. The project sought to bridge two audiences that rarely engage directly: (1) academics, and especially history students and graduates who wonder how to leverage their skills and expertise in a wide range of fulfilling careers, along with their mentors; and (2) professionals, particularly hiring managers and leaders who may not yet see why history graduates are valuable to their organizations.
In my presentation, I will share insights from twenty-two interviews (and counting) with industry professionals, along with research that emerged from these conversations. I will focus on three themes: the value of historical perspectives in the private sector; the challenges of communicating that value across disciplinary and professional boundaries; and the potential of interviewing and storytelling as tools to demonstrate how historical methods and ways of thinking can enrich business and tech practice. I argue that concrete examples of how individuals apply historical thinking in their work can be more persuasive than abstract claims or data alone, and that oral history offers a powerful way to surface these compelling, real-world narratives.