The Why – I believe
The Internet arrived and it was the ultimate game changer. Nothing was guaranteed because the Internet created new opportunities that did not favour the status quo. How come Brittanica did not become the Wikipedia, how come Google evolved from a garage, how come Facebook was a university project and not something from Telstra. For the first time customers were empowered to find anything anywhere in the world. Companies like Amazon started and everything was different.
I wanted to be part of that change and I’m excited to be part of my customers digital transformation. We’ve only just started. The next 5 years will be the most exciting because we will see the biggest transformation of value as crypto-currency changes the banking sector, electric cars change automotive and a renewable energy future changes utilities. All this is facilitated but digital technology.
My Journey
Back in 1995 I built a comprehensive directory of sex education material. We worked with Family Planning and delivered a comprehensive advice service to teenagers. We launched the product and after 6 months were the 6th most accessed site in the world and were getting more traffic than any local site. We found ourselves deluged by questions from tormented teenagers across the world. I sold this to Microsoft but it was the most exciting and satisfying period of my career because I realised if you deliver value the world is your stage.
The Future
The Internet has delivered a fundamental shift and transformation. Remember before Uber you had to pay a 10% surcharge to use a credit card in a cab. You had to stay in hotels when you went away rather than an AirBNB. I sat having a beer in Hoi Anh and watched a young girl sell floating candles between playing on a mobile phone. That young girl has access to the entire body of human knowledge on that phone. It’s the most powerful tool for a better future we have ever seen. We want to be part of that story.
