Achmad Reza V.: Putting People at the Centre of Digital Innovation

As Indonesia marks International Literacy Day 2026, literacy is no longer just about the ability to read and write. In an increasingly digitalised world, it also means having the skills and confidence to navigate technology, access information and use digital tools to solve everyday problems.

For Achmad Reza V., a digital product leader and mentor, digital literacy should empower people to use technology, understand the problems around them and identify solutions.

‘It’s about how we transform technology into digital solutions that solve problems or provide real value to customers and users,’ said Reza, Southeast Asia Product Solution Operations and Country Lead Logistics Indonesia at ByteDance.

With more than a decade of experience across e-commerce, logistics, fintech and digital media, Reza has built and developed user-focused products for Indonesian and international companies, including DANA Indonesia, detik.com and Tokopedia.

Beyond his professional role, he also mentors university students, small business owners and professionals from a range of backgrounds, helping them develop ideas, understand problems and turn opportunities into practical solutions.

‘We do not need big programs to contribute to advancing digital literacy,’ said Reza, who completed a Masters of Business Process Management at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane.

He believes that advancing digital literacy does not always require large-scale programs. Instead, it can begin with sharing knowledge and helping people build the capacity to understand problems, gather information and identify the most appropriate technology to address them, rather than simply teaching them how to use specific applications.

From Digital Access to Digital Empowerment

For Reza, digital literacy can open doors to information, public services and economic opportunities. However, meaningful digital inclusion requires more than access to technology.

It also requires the ability to assess information, understand users’ needs and make informed decisions about how technology can be used.

Since 2020, Reza has contributed to mentorship programs with organisations and institutions, including Binar Academy, Gerakan Nasional 1000 Startup, RevVoU, Kariermu, universities, and state-owned enterprises.

Through these programs, he shares his expertise in product management, digital literacy, and technological innovation with people from diverse professional and educational backgrounds.

‘I think of digital literacy as an economic enabler. A person with good digital literacy can use applications to find relevant information, build networks, create new sources of income and even build their own innovations – in turn, creating more opportunities for themselves and others,’ he said.

Beyond simply teaching people how to use technology, Reza believes digital literacy can empower them to recognise challenges, think critically and develop practical solutions.

Discovering the Human Side of Technology

Reza’s interest in technology began early. As a teenager in the late 1990s, he spent hours exploring his computer and mobile phone, fascinated by how they worked and what they could do.

This curiosity eventually led him to study computer science and begin his career in a range of IT roles, including analyst and support positions.

A turning point came in 2016, when he joined detik.com, one of Indonesia’s pioneering online news platforms and moved into product management.

One of his first projects involved developing a system to personalise news content based on individual user preferences. Instead of requiring readers to search the website, the feature helped them access stories more relevant to their interests.

‘Receiving such positive feedback was incredible. It made me realise how rewarding it is to use technology to solve real, everyday problems and make positive contributions to society,’ he added.

The experience strengthened his belief that successful innovation begins with understanding people.

Technology, he believes, should not be developed simply because it is new or sophisticated. Its value lies in whether it can respond to genuine needs and make everyday experiences easier, safer or more accessible.

Learning to Approach Problems Differently

Before moving into product management, Reza experienced another important shift in perspective while studying in Australia from 2013 to 2014.

Living in Brisbane, he observed how digital systems were integrated into everyday life. Public transport systems allowed commuters to move between different modes of transport more efficiently, while services such as licence applications and traffic fine payments could be completed online. Automation was also widely used in workplaces to streamline routine administrative tasks.

‘Many workers in Brisbane could go home on time because their work-related administrative tasks were automated. And for everyday things, like paying tolls or traffic fines, automation saves so much time,’ Reza explained.

The experience reinforced an important principle that continues to guide his work: technology can make everyday life more efficient when it is designed around people’s needs. His time in Australia also shaped the way he approached problem-solving. As a recipient of a partial scholarship from QUT, Reza was exposed to an education approach that emphasised hands-on projects, independent learning and finding practical solutions to real-world problems.‘We were thrown out, quite literally, to actively find our own solutions through these projects. It significantly changed my perspective about how to approach problems independently,’ he noted.

The experience also strengthened his ability to work with uncertainty, an important skill in the technology sector, where products and solutions often need to evolve as new information emerges.

Turning Research into Practical Solutions

Today, Reza applies these lessons in his work developing products for e-commerce and logistics. His role includes helping customers choose their preferred delivery services and supporting safer, more efficient order fulfilment. His approach begins not with the technology itself, but with research.

Before developing a product, Reza and his team seek to understand the challenges users face, analyse available information and identify the underlying problem. Only then do they determine which solutions are most appropriate.

This approach has also shaped his mentoring work. Rather than focusing only on technical skills or specific digital platforms, he encourages participants to develop the confidence to question assumptions, gather relevant information, and explore different ways to address a challenge.

To Reza, technology can also serve as a bridge between people. He points to the potential of digital platforms that could connect business owners with prospective investors, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth.

‘I want to help more people shift their mindset from simply being a user to becoming a problem-solver,’ he remarked.

Building a More Inclusive Digital Feature

Despite Indonesia’s growing digital economy and pool of talented innovators, Reza believes unequal access to infrastructure remains one of the country’s biggest challenges.

While e-commerce and digital services have grown rapidly in urban centres with strong internet connectivity, many communities in remote and underserved areas still face limited access to telecommunications infrastructure and digital education.

This inequality can prevent communities from fully participating in the opportunities created by digital transformation.

‘I hope the government steps up efforts to ensure equitable infrastructure development. These communities deserve greater attention because they have so much potential, but can’t unlock it due to limited access to technology and education,’ he said.

For Reza, digital inclusion is ultimately about ensuring that innovation responds to the needs of different communities, rather than benefiting only those who already have access.

He envisions an Indonesia where digital technology can support a wide range of everyday activities, from education and public services to transport and economic participation, and where more people have the opportunity to contribute to, rather than simply consume innovation.

‘Digital transformation is no longer just about using sophisticated applications, but about making technology available and accessible to as many people as possible,’ he said.

From learning to independently investigate challenges in Australia to designing user-focused digital products and mentoring others in Indonesia, he continues to apply a simple principle: meaningful innovation begins with people.