Jeff Lawson, software developer turned CEO of Twilio, shares a new approach for winning in the digital era: unleash the creativity and productivity of the 25 million most important workers in the digital economy, software developers.

From banking and retail to insurance and finance, every industry is turning digital, and every company needs the best software to win the hearts and minds of customers. The landscape has shifted from the classic build vs. buy question, to one of build vs. die. Companies have to get this right to survive. But how do they make this transition?

Software developers are sought after, highly paid, and desperately needed to compete in the modern, digital economy. Yet most companies treat them like digital factory workers without really understanding what software developers are able to contribute. Lawson argues that developers are the creative workforce who can solve major business problems and create hit products for customers&;not just grind through rote tasks. Lawson talks to executives, developers at startups, founders who code to learn how forward-thinking companies embrace this approach. From Google and Amazon, to one-person online software companies&;companies that bring software developers in as partners are winning.

Adopting the Ask Your Developer mindset enables companies to take advantage of an underutilized asset, unleash tremendous untapped creativity and brainpower inside their software teams, recruit and retain the best talent, and integrate developers into everyday decisions. For developers, this mindset can help you show up and be viewed as a full, talented, creative professional - not a code monkey.

How to compete in the digital economy? In short: Ask Your Developer.