I think techno is very subjective music and what's techno for you doesn't have to be same with me.. everyone has own view on what is techno, and what not...

everyone should try to break some boundaries in their music and change the view on their music little bit.. sometimes i find very helpful to think about all what i'm doing in the track,,and compare how it would be done by unique musician. techno artist is working and composing alone.. all the things are DIY. in live band there''s letssay 5 unique musicians and each of them knows perfectly his instrument... so he have enough skills to experiment or jam and this can give him some unique results.

i think first is understanding (not just using what i hear elsewhere),,,then experimenting...

comprehensive understanding of music and music theory could help a lot,... to both sides,,, producers,,and crowds,,aswell