With a seemingly endless number of programs, languages and frameworks at your disposal, it can be difficult to know what tool is a flash in the pan, and what has the power to shape the future of your technology organization. But it doesn’t have to be a mystery. 

We asked four experts in software development, data, machine learning and cloud computing about which hard and soft skills agencies will need to thrive in the 2020s. Here’s what to pay attention to and invest in as you map out your tech strategy for the next year (and the next decade).