billgates

It got me thinking about this image. 30 years ago this guy was a lot like the guys I spoke with in Liverpool. He was a developer wanting to do cool stuff with software and build a business. Okay so there are some differences but fundamentally he was a developer with Paul Allen looking to build software.

It got me thinking about how we connect with this audience and the fact that we need to get out more. When you talk face to face with these folks it builds trust and respect. That gives you the permission to talk to them about our stuff and how it can help them. Stuff like BizSpark. Ramming it down to them in an email or via a website just doesn’t cut it. We have to get out and play were they play. It’s hard work, especially on a Saturday after a long week but it’s worth it. I had a great time so congrats to Thom, Katie and the crowd for pulling it off and great to see @plip, @ and meet @TheHodge.

One other thing I thought through after talking with a few people there. There was a request for more “lightweight” apps from Microsoft. Stuff that’s just simple, elegant and works. Stuff like Windows Live Writer and Live Mesh I think. I was asked why was Office so “bloated” and as I thought it through it dawned on me that Office got so big because we put more and more in the box for a non-broadband world. When you have always on Internet, the notion of adding to a program through additional downloads (like Firefox) is so obvious. Not so long ago that ubiquitous connectivity wasn’t there though so everything had to go on the CD or DVD.

The Internet. It changes everything.