Tech innovators hold jobs they didn't know existed when they were kids

Answers from the 2026 RealLIST survey show winding career paths, founder-heavy workplaces, small teams and AI woven into everyday work.

By: Holly Quinn

Outlets: Technical.ly

Published: August 31, 2026

Words: 664

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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What did you want to be when you grew up? For many involved in building new technology, it wasn’t what they’re doing now.

Of the seven dozen respondents to Technical.ly’s 2026 RealLIST Innovators survey, nearly three-quarters (7 in 10) said that when they were young, they didn’t know a role like their current one existed.

In some cases, that’s because the technology or profession itself was still emerging — or hadn’t yet been imagined. …

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