Ray Ozzie is a software innovator in the domain of computer supported coordinated work. His accomplishments include creating Lotus Notes and Groove Networks. He is now the chief software architect of Microsoft, a title previously held by Bill Gates. He was recently interviewed by the Wharton School, talking about his job and view of the industry. I was most struck by his answer to a question about what he is most proud of (highlights are mine):
Knowledge@Wharton: You have been around the industry for quite a while. Of all the things you've done, what are you most proud of?
Ozzie: The teams. Let me extend that -- the people and organizations surrounding the software systems that I built. Just step back and look at [Lotus] Notes as one case in point. Forget the technology for a moment. There were some amazingly passionate developers who stuck with that project for a long time, and I got to know them. I love that.
There were thousands of small businesses and organizations where opportunity was created in the ecosystem surrounding that product. That's incredibly gratifying.
And then there are customers whose businesses were changed. I'm a technologist, so, frankly, I assume we can build just about anything that we set our minds to. What really impacts me are the people and organizational benefits that are downstream from those technologies.
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