Blogs, I recently suggested , can turn the game of high-tech PR inside out. Ray Ozzie is the most dramatic example of how that can happen and why it should. Here are three others that I find inspiring:
Phil Windley , CIO, State of Utah.
Mark O'Neill , CTO, Vordel.
Edwin Khodabakchian
,
CTO (oops, sorry) CEO, Collaxa.
The more bandwidth we have between folks in the CxO professions and folks in mine, the better it is for all of us. I've met Mark in person, Edwin on the phone, and Phil never, but I learn a lot about the nature and goals of their enterprises through their blogs. As UserLand's John Robb has recently discovered , this shared context is a springboard and an accelerator:
There is probably no better way to supercharge a meeting than to read the weblog of the person you are about to meet with. It provides a strong basis of understanding necessary for high order interaction. [ John Robb's weblog ]
We long ago passed the point, in this industry, where an "elevator pitch" could convey anything useful. Things are increasingly complex, interrelated, and subtle. On trade show floors, in meetings, and on phone calls, it can take an hour just to synchronize on the terminology and concepts needed to have a meaningful discussion. I hope there will soon be many more Phils, Marks, and Edwins. I claim it's win/win for those who step up to the plate. The creators of technical strategy are best qualified to explain it to both internal and external audiences. When context can be shared in this way, understanding comes easier and runs deeper.
Former URL: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2002/08/29.html#a392