My job is to figure out software, make it robust, make it usable and make it fit with a business. Throughout my career, I have been hired to solve challenging technical problems, implement robust systems, make software usable and optimize software businesses.
Before I got to Silicon Valley in 1983, I earned my BS in Computer Science from University of Wisconsin and worked as a software developer on the CompuServe Information Service. I came to the Valley to help my brother Dave Winer build Living Videotext and I developed Think Tank, one of the earliest ever Macintosh applications. I was also lead developer of MORE which was a best-selling product and winner of many industry awards when it was introduced in 1986.
Think Tank was the first product to introduce clicking to expand and collapse hierarchies using a mouse. This feature is integral to all desktop operating systems and is used for navigating file systems on virtually all desktops today. MORE was the first product to allow users to brainstorm by making outlines and instantly convert these outlines into onscreen presentations. PowerPoint quickly followed our lead and the market for presentation software was born.
I became Vice President of Engineering at Living Videotext and after five years of seven day weeks, we sold the company to Symantec where I continued as Vice President of Engineering for one Symantec division.
I left Symantec in 1989. After a short break with lots of recreational programming and downhill skiing, I started my consulting company Big Chief Partners. In over 15 years of consulting experience, I have had many challenging assignments and a very wide variety of experiences. I’ve worked with over 50 startups and huge established companies. My clients have also included many well-known venture capitalists and investment banks.
My experience includes:
- Merging three regional Yellow Pages systems and enabling online ad sales for US West Communications.
- Developing two products – an online shopping system and a radical graphics layout product – for Apple Computer.
- Managing a complex three-way business partnership between Advanstar Communications, PurchasePro and Icon Media Labs.
- Evaluating possible investments and fixing portfolio problems for venture capitalists and investment bankers.
- Building an RFID eCommerce system for Philips Semiconductors. Advising startups, writing newsletters and presenting conferences on RFID.
- Designing and implementing the AJAX-rich user experience and front end for Determina’s security products.
- Advising Advanced Micro Devices on their global Web strategy.
- Launching the product development effort for iPling, one of the first products for Apple’s iPhone.
The graphics software I developed for Apple Computer was based on a System for designing dynamic layouts adaptable to various display screen sizes and resolutions for which I was awarded a United States patent in 1998.
I’m always looking for new challenges and I never want to do exactly the same thing twice. To me, the best assignments build on prior experience with new technologies or in new environments.
