Welcome to the Software Revolution
You are lucky to be reading this. And I am even luckier to have written it. That is because we both are alive with a realistic chance to change the course of history. We are players in a new world where innovation is being industrialized and every aspect of daily life is being impacted. And you have the opportunity to influence the future — not just be changed by it.
I predict that the years roughly between 1980 – 2050 will be recognized as the Software Revolution era. The era will be defined by the augmentation of intelligence and experience by computers. The historical definition of the period may be:
A period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1900s and early 2000s. The Software Revolution began in the United States and quickly spread throughout the world. This time period saw the computerization of business and personal life and had a massive effect on economic, social, and cultural conditions.
If you work in technology, you likely agree that this time period is unique and being driven by a number of powerful factors, including the democratization of software development, widespread broadband access, and the emergence of mobile devices.
Software has been commercialized at a dizzying pace, yet new processes and technologies are just starting to be developed to bring efficiency to idea development and execution. Most of us still use Word, Excel, and PPT to share ideas and lead product teams to build great software.
Of the three major forces mentioned above, the democratization of software development is having the most profound impact — it’s both structure and finish. Democratization equates to a world where all that is needed to create great software is a computer and a bold idea (and some dev chops of course) and a marketplace of free and low-cost apps that billions of people and millions of businesses have immediate access to. It is now pervasive and is what makes the
It is now pervasive and is what makes the pacemaker pace and gamifies the game. Software controls the world, yet its ultimate influence is understated today. It is about to drive your car, monitor your health and alert medical professionals if you are not well, predict what diseases your kids will have, and fight wars to protect our global interests.
Our transforming world dominated by software is my new true north. After more than three terrific years at Citrix (and two-plus years before that working on Paglo prior to the acquisition), I am embarking on a new path with my trusty business partner and technical genius friend, Dr. Chris Waters. The goal is to provide the right tools to help amplify the impact of what you and others are developing in this Software Revolution era that will define our lives.
Our goal is simply to help product managers create brilliant roadmaps and be happy doing it.
We know that creating great software is invigorating. This is why product managers should be the happiest people on earth. But most companies never benefit from their product manager’s love of innovation because product and engineering managers are beaten down by soft strategies, weak tools, and squishy communication. We are building Aha! for you and us — product and engineering managers who are looking to get their mojo back.
I have been telling people that I was lucky to be born when I was, learned what I learned, worked where I worked, met special people along the way, and achieved some early success. But I am most fortunate to be right here with a chance to build the future, now. I hope you will join us.
The possibilities are endless.
