An Empathetic Listener : Motivation

Give Camp is Coming to Phoenix!

Dan Willis — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:48:35 GMT

Give Camp is a growing nationwide effort for software professionals to give back to the community. On a given weekend, the development community comes together to partner with non-profits and charities, and over the course of one weekend developers take projects from idea to completion!

Arizona Give Camp is just getting started, and we need your help! This is a big event, working with possibly hundreds of developers, dozens of non-profits, dozens of sponsors, and big logistical problems.

We are making a call for volunteers to help with the organizational side of Give Camp. We need dedicated professionals that can devote significant amounts of time to help get Arizona Give Camp going. This is an all volunteer effort, and it will take many months of sustained effort to have a successful event. We will need teams to work with non-profits and charities; to work with sponsors; to organize the developers, designers, and business analysts; handle servers and networking issues; coordinate logistics including venue, hospitality, etc… the list goes on!

Your technical skills are important, but what we need most is dedication and energy. If you have an interest in having a big role in the success of Give Camp, we invite you to attend the first AZ Give Camp organizers meeting on October 15th at Microsoft’s downtown office from 6pm to 8pm. If you plan on attending, please sign up at:

http://azgivecamp2009orgmeeting.eventbrite.com/

To learn more about Give Camp, you can visit www.givecamp.org and follow us on Twitter @AZGiveCamp. You can even call us at 623.252.GIVE if you have questions.

When: October 15, 2009, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Where: Microsoft Office – 2929 N. Central Ave, Suite 1400, Phoenix, AZ 85012

How Can I Get A Job Like That!

Dan Willis — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:34:54 GMT

Most people with ANY job today are happy and I would certainly include myself in that category. However, there are jobs that have inherent “opportunities” – for adventure, fulfillment, etc. (you get the picture)… Joe Wilson, a Senior Director in the Academic Evangelism organization for Microsoft has one of those jobs. Joe is one of many people working on the 2009 Imagine Cup awards show in EGYPT! Check out his video for yourself. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the technology of putting on a modern event with the technology inherent in the pyramids in the background.

A bit of background on the Imagine Cup… Now in its seventh year, the Imagine Cup is a global student technology competition focused on finding solutions to real-world issues. The competition encourages the world's most talented software designers, programmers, game developers, photographers and filmmakers to tackle the toughest problems facing the world today.

Over 200,000 technology students around the world competed in the 2008 competition.

Do you want:

To contribute your talents to tackling some of the toughest problems facing us today-and maybe even turn your ideas into a business one day?
To learn new technology skills and test yourself against the brightest students on the planet?
To make new friends from around the world?
The chance to win cash prizes, internships at Microsoft, and even a free trip to Cairo, Egypt this July for the Worldwide Finals?

Since 2002, the Imagine Cup has been challenging the world's brightest students to step up and make a difference.

We're the world's premier student technology competition and we invite you to join us!

Microsoft Can Help Businesses Save Money!

Dan Willis — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:15:59 GMT

You probably won’t catch this in time but yours truly will be interviewed on the John Adams Show, KFNN, 1510 AM in Phoenix. The 10 minute interview will be broadcast LIVE at the FBR Open in Scottsdale on Friday, 1/30/09 at 9:08 AM. I will be speaking on some key initiatives and offerings from Microsoft that can save businesses money in the current economic climate. You can get the stream of the interview post event at www.thejohnadamshow.com. I will post a direct link and additional content after the show.

LISTEN LIVE!

Does a Company Need a Chief Engineer / Chief Software Architect / Chief Anything?

Dan Willis — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 08:48:00 GMT

Interesting post by Scott Bellware on Toyota's Chief Engineer and the impact of the role on Toyota's planning and production. With the recent talk of the new administration in the US appointing a CIO for the first time; it got me thinking about the importance of a single individual to the technical direction of an organization. It's an interesting area for me as I spend a good amount of time speaking with Chiefs of all sorts and I work at a company that has a unique "Chief" position.

Before he left Microsoft, Bill Gates created the role of Chief Software Architect (way back in 2000 - time flies). In 2006, he announced that he would phase out of an active role with the company and Ray Ozzie would take over the CSA role. Well, here we are at the end of 2008 and I wonder what difference having a CSA has made to Microsoft.

To the public at large, most of what Mr. Ozzie does is internal to Microsoft and does not appear to have a direct affect on day-to-day operations. He occasionally appears at key public venues (well, for the Microsoft-interested public) such as MIX and the Professional Developers Conference (PDC). Notably, he usually announces very broad reaching and significant directions such as Surface, Silverlight, Live Services and most recently Azure (Uber Cloud Computing platform). What is interesting about these announcements is that Mr. Ozzie is not just a mouthpiece for these initiatives but has actually provided some of the intellectual foundation and executive backing to bring these major efforts to fruition. In that sense, he has been successful in marshalling the myriads of groups and projects within the company to bring about focused effort.

At the end of the day that is what anyone in a "Chief" role does - provides focus and consolidation of effort on the most important things. Sounds simple enough but in my albeit limited experience, incredibly difficult. This is the essence of why you do need "a" Chief and not Chiefs. Too many Chiefs quickly become a committee and serve as a bottleneck and impediment instead of the single point of focus and action. Chiefs are owners and initiators. They enable their staffs and departments to work with the confidence that what they do matters and if they are successful, all will benefit. That's my view. What's yours?

Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference – WOW!

Dan Willis — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:20:15 GMT

I don’t have enough superlatives to describe how happy I was to be present at the 3rd Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference at the Buttes in Tempe. Not only does it benefit a great cause, Opportunity through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OETF) but it was a phenomenal learning experience. Checkout some of the pictures of the luminaries (present company excepted) at Lon Safko’s Flickr site. I will provide a more thorough post later.

Technorati Tags: Venture Capital,Entrepreneurship,BizSpark

How can Software Rebuild a Country?

Dan Willis — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:56:00 GMT

George Fahnbulleh is a Solutions Architect for Lake Piso Software in Mesa, Arizona. He is one of those special people in the technology business that once you meet him, you can't forget his passion and drive. George and his small software company have grand plans and I for one want to do everything possible to help him achieve some of his key goals. George is a native of Liberia which was decimated by many years of civil war and mismanagement. As the country emerges out of the fog of war, George and others like him are poised to use the tools of technology to make a real difference.

Video: George Fahnbulleh Interview - Microsoft Launch - Phoenix

I recently interviewed George at the "Heroes Happen Here" launch event in Phoenix. As you watch the video, note his enthusiasm for new technology and how it can help his countrymen. I am inspired by George and promise to do all I can to connect him to the resources that can help him in his quest to leapfrog the rebuilding of his country. Please take note of the key features identified in the video including:

Visual Studio 2008

Split view
JavaScript debugging
Advanced CSS support

SQL Server 2008

Hierarchical data types
Transparent encryption

Some really exceptional work will come out of the Liberian Initiative. I look forward to documenting George and his journey.

An Update on Color and "Real User Experience"

Dan Willis — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:32:00 GMT

Sometimes there's a distinct pleasure in attending a meeting and not knowing what value can be derived from your expenditure of time and energy. I had the privilege recently to attend a webinar by Leatrice Eiseman, a true color Guru. Leatrice is executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and founder of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training. She is what is known as a trendsetter and style maker. After listening to her talk about color for an hour, there is no debate when it comes to her ability in this mysterious arena. Oh, and did I mention that she is the author of seven books on color? I will try to get copies of her slides and post them even though without her commentary they are pictures without context. They were interesting nonetheless in how they conveyed the style of a presenter who depended on the eyes ability to see colors and images and connect to those without text to state the obvious. None of her slides had any text. It would have been superfluous.

Okay, why was this so interesting (at least to me)? Ms. Eiseman was fervent in her assertion that misuse of color and ignorance of it's cultural significance can negatively impact a product development effort. Rather than a long diatribe of my perspective, I will outline below some of her key points and let you judge for yourself if you believe her expressions or you continue to think that green is the new black!

Color/Concept	Details
80% of human experience is filtered through the eyes…	Color, shape, numbers, words… in that order... Context, context, context… the color equivalent of location, location, Location
Red - Enticing, appetite arousing…	Unrelenting hue to the human eye. The first color named in every language after black & white Brightest reds make the boldest statement Arouse the strongest emotions… Bono's RED effort - Color to induce social action…
Bright Pinks…	Capture some of the same essence as Red Theatrical, provocative… More playful, useful than red… Can actually be used as dustpan or seating or Kayaks…
Lighter Pinks	Tastier… sweet… Symbolic of social causes - Breast cancer…
Deeper Reds	Most sumptuous Connected to the good life Elegant, cultivated, rich & refined…
Orange	No word for orange in Europe before the fruit showed up… Use in Fast food caused it to decline in the past… 90's - Rebirth in fashion… Wider use in other cultures… Many industrial uses… high intensity… Association to the mother color (red) - very physical, high-visibility - in constant motion… Consumer conjures up activity - moving… Connection to yellow - friendlier and more approachable than red… Kids like it - Ages 3-6 especially
Yellow	Heat, vitality and energy Essence of light Emphasis on the metaphysical Enlightenment - Ability to see things clearly… Glorification of the color… Always attracts infants eye Infants use it to embellish upper left or right (of paintings) … universal - kids in all countries Color of highest visibility - easiest for human eye to see… Combination of yellow & black - Markings of wasps, snakes, NY taxis???
Brown	Earth - diligence… Change in the last 10 years - openness, naturalness Elevated to new levels of sophistication… Chocolate and coffee shades… More of a fashion statement - outdoor pursuits…
Cooler Tones	Long assoc. with the serenity from a clear cool sky Light, mid and deep - respite, introspection… Dependability and trust… Dedication from consumers #1 for corp. branding… Challenge to keep fresh and not hackneyed
Green	Can be an attention getter Reaffirms nature - heralded by the tender green shoots Fresh, healthy… organic Avocado green - formerly reviled - Whole new cachet Martha Stewart has helped to bring green back Sustainability and eco-friendly Children - Shrek!
Green w/an undertone of blue	One of the most popular colors… Teal - Seen as tasteful - upscale…
Purple	Unordinary - many moods Undertone and shading - can be exciting and energizing - or mysterious and interesting Transcendental - new age… Purple flowers and foods - more distinctive Eggplant, berries, plums - burst or twang… Exclusivity - in ancient times only the wealthy… 336K snails = one ounce of dye… That concept gone today…
Neutrals	Lack excitement - inherent warmth and subtlety Symbolic in recycling… Variation in tone and texture - increase complexity Gray and Silver - Modern and contemporary look Gray - Rock solid dependability… Silver - high tech, greater value…
White	IS a color Human eye does see it as a brilliance - reflection is important Ultimate color of purity and cleansing… Temperature-wise - always says cool…
Black	Power and empowering… Staying power Elegance and sophistication Black is the new black - always...
Cultural differences - Extensive…	World is changing…. Lots of urban legends.. Example: Never use white in China - color of mourning… Reality: Visited Taiwan - Taipei - Brides in westernized white gowns… 25 young couples - white gowns and veils… Wear red dress at some point to appease elders… Cautious of sweeping generalities - MTV culture… Do your homework on the specific culture…
In Established Industry Example: Plumbing	Silver is a given - How to move forward? Care required - Risk to move forward too aggressively… Find consumer who engages uniqueness… Masses - Go after "a" finish (patina), striation, texture, etc. - retain comfort but gain interest… Definite trend
Colorblindness	No universal givens as how color is viewed Colorblindness is individual… Use the black & White test…
Consumers are more about combining than just using "the" hot color…	Want to refresh rather than rip & replace "Bring in" the trend color… Fads - Fashion is a risk taker… Trends established across 3 seasons… (her rule)