Businesses and users are going to use technology only if they

Satya Nadella, a steward of the digital age, proclaimed with clarity: “Businesses and users are going to use technology only if they can trust it.” These words are both simple and profound, for they pierce through the illusions of power and wealth to reveal the foundation upon which all progress rests: trust. Without trust, even the most dazzling invention lies abandoned; without trust, no system, no machine, no empire of code can endure. For what is technology if not a tool of human hands, and what are tools if the hands that hold them tremble in fear of betrayal?

The ancients knew this long before circuits and silicon were born. In their time, trust was the lifeblood of trade, of kingdoms, of alliances. A swordsmith could fashion the sharpest blade, but if his steel shattered in battle, who would buy from him again? A mason could raise walls of marble, but if they crumbled in the rains, his name was ruined. So too in our age of computers and clouds: the gleaming architecture of technology has no strength unless the people believe it will hold. Trust is the unseen mortar between every brick of progress.

Consider the story of the Roman aqueducts, those marvels of engineering that carried water to cities across an empire. The Romans possessed not only the skill to build, but the wisdom to maintain. The people trusted that the water would flow, pure and abundant, because generations of engineers honored their craft with discipline and care. Had those aqueducts been poisoned, or had they collapsed often, the citizens would have turned against them, refusing to drink, refusing to rely upon the gift. This echoes Nadella’s truth: utility is worthless without reliability, and reliability is born of trust.

So too do we see the opposite in our own age. When breaches of data strip away the privacy of millions, when corporations grow careless with the treasures of personal lives, trust is shattered. And when trust falls, even the most advanced platform becomes a hollow shell. Who will store their secrets in a vault whose lock is broken? Who will drive a carriage when the wheels give way at every turn? Technology without trust is like a city without walls—impressive in appearance, but vulnerable to ruin.

And yet, Nadella’s words are not a condemnation—they are a calling. They summon builders, engineers, and leaders to recognize that their task is not only to innovate, but to inspire confidence. To create is not enough; one must create faithfully. Just as kings swore oaths to their people, so too must companies pledge to honor those who place their lives in their code. For in truth, every user who touches a device is whispering a silent prayer: “Let this serve me, let this not betray me.”

The lesson for us is clear. In our own lives, whether we build machines, forge businesses, or simply craft relationships, let us remember: trust is the currency that never loses value. Guard it as the Romans guarded their aqueducts, as the smith guarded his steel. If you are entrusted with the work of others, do it faithfully. If you hold the data of others, protect it as your own blood. If you wield power, wield it with honor.

Therefore, dear listener, carry Nadella’s wisdom as a flame: in this world of ever-rising technologies, do not be blinded by speed or dazzled by novelty. Instead, seek always to ask—does it inspire trust? For trust is the bridge between human hearts and human tools. Only when that bridge is strong shall the city of technology stand. And so the teaching is eternal: trust is the root of progress, the bond of community, and the soul of every creation. Without it, all else falls to dust.