Interviews with interesting people
This is the story of a boy from Milan, Italy who grew up to be a designer and then moved to…Minnesota? Mauro (au is aw, and remember to roll the r) Porcini (pore chee knee) is great fun. He’s smart, talented and learned to speak English in Ireland.
I’m tempted to say he has a voice for radio but I can hear Andy asking “did you say voice or face?” For the record, I said voice. In addition to his melodic tones, Andy is a quick wit, a knowledgeable techie and a skilled writer. And when you want to know about technology, he’s the guy who will tell you what you need to know and do it in an interesting way.
Bill Storage studied engineering and now uses that knowledge base to solve business problems. He leads his clients through a process that identifies issues, specifies solutions and automates procedures. Bill makes a good case for being a generalist.
This is the kind of success that it easy to replicate. First, start from a good base. Make sure your Dad is a doctor and your Mom is an artist. Then have your uncle teach you the ropes of business and tech. For college, go to MIT. Then sell your first company at the age of 28, take some on your money (and money from other folk) and invest it in new companies. You’ll have great fun, meet lots of interesting people, and get to live in Boulder, CO. At least that’s how it worked for Brad Feld. Your mileage may vary.
If Frank Sinatra, Captain Penniman and Alex Lindsay were in a boat, it would be tough to know which would win the war of wills. But my money’s on Alex. There’s no doubt he’s dedicated. He lives just north of San Francisco but is still a Pittsburg Steelers fan. Alex acquired his love of everything geek from his grandfather. After working on Star Wars, Alex started the Pixel Corps and his own production company. He has some strong views on education, the value of technology, and what you should do with your life.
Aaron Fulkerson grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area but now lives in San Diego. So he’s a west coast guy who went to school in N. Carolina. His grandfather introduced him to a wide range of philosophical ideas. But instead of becoming a philosopher, Aaron got excited about computers. He boot-strapped his company which now successfully helps other companies manage their corporate knowledge base.
This is a story of an Asian kid growing up in Texas. It’s not easy being the wrong color for everyone else. But Louis Kim survived childhood by being bright, articulate and creative. You expect the first from an engineer, the second from a manager, and the third from a designer. Louis combines them all.