A few weeks ago, I flew to Chicago for a Tedx presentation on my favorite subject, how software entrepreneurs can build real-world companies. If you’re a coder looking for ideas to start a company, we have a few suggestions for you at 8:45:
If you’re just wondering what happens when a software CEO attends an all-girls camp, start at :45.
The idea for the talk came from The Matrix, where the guru Morpheus tells a young software developer to “take the red pill” that will return him to the real world, which he is of course expected to save.
Unsurprisingly, software people love this movie. We all want to believe we can save the world. But almost none of us wants to take the red pill.
Why not? If you’re a software entrepreneur who invents a new way to animate movies, isn’t it more fun to be Pixar than to sell software to Pixar? You can ask the same question about Tesla and cars, Climate Corporation and farmer’s insurance, Uber and a transportation system, Simple and banks, Xoom and money transfers, Redfin and Realtors.
This presentation makes the case that software entrepreneurs can do anything in the real world: we can build better schools and hospitals, for example, so long as we start working with teachers and doctors. By the same token, the next generation of airplane manufacturers, oil exploration companies and pharmaceutical laboratories will all be hybrid companies, started, led or powered by software entrepreneurs.
The world, not just the web, will get better as a result.
Many thanks to Pivotal Productions and all the Tedx Windy City folks for asking us to participate!
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