Beyond Category

I’ve been tracking GDP, software industry consolidation, and the growth of “features” (versus real companies) and I’m finding that office vacancies in traditional tech areas (silicon valley, redmond, etc) are going down.

There could be a variety of theories but I am interested if any of the people who look in on this blog know how or why its going on.

Best

Yes and Amen.

Its like I’ve been to some Technologists Annonymous meeting and realized I had a problem.

“Hi, my name is Vince and I work in technology. Its worse than that, I work in enterprise technolgy”

I look around the room, even the hardened ones cringe, but in response I hear “Hi Vince” in unison.

I go on.

“Well, it started off when I was hired to implement software….”
And then I go on to discuss how I looked on as if it was absolute normalcy when I began to add consultant-speak to my every day langage. Items like “outside-in” and “get a 360-degree view.” Yes, I even go into where I’ve become a cross-platform (PC and Mac) PowerPoint guru.

“I first started to sense that I hit rock bottom when I started talking in web-page address-speak.”

” ‘Oh the URL (I actually said it so it sounded like “You” “Are” “Elle) is www.xxx.xxxx slash xxx dot H-T-M-L dot ASP.’ I actually heard it on a recording of a WebEx (another forced addiction) session I ran.”

I digress….

However it is just that I’ve started to realize that the vocabulary and worldview in big technology (especially those of us non-programmers who know enough to vapor-ware up a software specification to a developer) is so limited as to leave us nothing to do but rehash frameworks “thought up” by Dun and Bradstreet Software in the 1980s and 1990s.

Maybe I’m not getting it out right but we use words that were meant to describe flesh and bone experiences to describe the breadth or depth of a software’s effectivity (I almost said “solution”). In other words, “our solution is much more robust…” It means nothing. But say it in a presentaion or better yet have it as a bullet on your powerpoint (AKA crack for the business ADD set) and the room will nod in robotic assent.

Deep down the presenter knows no one knows what the $##$##@ you are saying

But hey, its not a conference call and there are bagels…

I used to not worry for all of us — the programmers and developers going after startups, there are a group of mavericks I thought. Nope.

They are worse, they are mult-dependent patients. Venture Capital and Big Tech. Shelve the Big Tech for a minute (most if it is but no one wants to admit it), these people are either “chasing the ghost” looking for that elusive first (or next) round of capital or are running low on their last roun and for some reason looking back to the VC instead of in the face of thier customers (who oddly enough will put them in far more control of their lives).

However in the classic “i love you, now go away” dysfunctional reationship scheme, the VC will ineveitably (if you do not or cannot deliver within their fund window) dump you when you need the money the most. Now if you’re “chasing the ghost” or running out, the panic sets in. The reality is that most of the time you could have been selling, you spent getting into the VC network to get funding and doing pitch after pitch.

Now to be fair, I’ve never done a pitch (per se formally) but I’ve danced the perimiter and prepped some people and sat with a lot of VCs and successful pitch makers and, well, all that energy (for some of them) could be better focused on generating revenue.

So back to my question, “can technoogy innovation stifle innovation?” my yes is so resounding because I see people stuck in tired frameworks, chasing funding over customers, and in all of their faces THEY THINK THIS CRAP IS PERFECTLY NORMAL.

This makes me tired but I think I am onto something.

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem

Gnite

1-Dimensional.

It used to be that my greatest fear would be that — to be this 1-dimensional “being” that is known for one thing only and when that thing hits the skids the game is over. 1-Dimensional, 1 Trick Pony, Being the Guy who played “Potsie” on Happy Days, Being Andrew Dice Clay.

Look, when I come out from behind my little “humorous” trite things its really something I worried about. Note “worried.” While that is a concern, my concern now is that I’ve spent my time as an entrepreneur/consultant/small business owner doing things that I like.

Those of you that know me understand that I am now involved with a new venture, Turnswing. It is one of the most interesting things I have done in 10 years. I am finally doing something that I like to do. The plus is I am now doing it with a tight network of people that “work” with me very well, respect where I’ve been and want to help us all take things to the next level.

Where I transitioned from was a successful consultancy that I built with some partners over five years but, in the end it got messy and we parted ways very, very painfully — in a way. The exit was cathartic, it drew me closer to my family and those that could understand what I was going through. It forced me to revisit every move (oh and now THAT sounds fun) in my business career and think about it not from the perspective of someone just going through the tactical bit of it, but from someone looking at it from the sidelines.

I will hash through that in another post. Here however I wanted to share a simple epiphany.

I just moved to the Providence area and I was so excited to be so close (relatively speaking) to Boston’s high-tech corridor and metroplex. It gave me a chance to get close to the movers and shakers on this side of the country. I have gone to a great number of Boston Startup Meetup sessions and even sat in on some great startup-meetup venture capital sessions.

More on my comments about what I saw in another post (I need to keep on message in this one — one of my failings on which I am working)

I didn’t like one thing. Mohammed had to come to the mountain. I forgot to mention how much I’ve grown to hate driving and traffic, didn’t I? I had to drive to Boston, Waltham, etc. It blows (for me).

So while I was cleaning my garage with my kids, it occured to me how conceieted I was. “Why” I said to myself, “Self, what about a startup community in Providence?” “What about a startup community where you can be involved and drive only 15 minutes in crappy traffic?”

So I spent the afternoon A.G. (after garage) looking for startups in the area. I must say, it looked a little slim but I have some interesting starts for gatherings and meetings.

So I am playing “all politics is local” card and looking into this. I hate going far, I love participating in a local scene, and I think I will be of some help to these companies.

The search for “Providence Startup” is slim, so is the search for “Providence High Tech“

I hope I don’t have to buy a commuter rail card for the MBTA.

Later,

V