Join "The Software Revolution"

You are lucky to be reading this. And I am even luckier to have written it. That's because we both are alive with a realistic chance to change the course of history. We are players in a new world where innovation is being industrialized and every aspect of daily life is being impacted. And you have the opportunity to influence the future -- not just be changed by it.

Don't believe the haters who think that "enough is enough" or that "there must be a line" where humans stop and technology begins. Stop fighting and join The Software Revolution. It's an obvious choice.

I predict that the years roughly between 1980 - 2050 will be recognized as the Software Revolution era. The era will be defined by the augmentation of intelligence and experience by computers.

The historical definition of the period may be:

A period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1900s and early 2000s. The Software Revolution began in the United States and quickly spread throughout the world. This time period saw the computerization of business and personal life and had a massive effect on economic, social, and cultural conditions.

If you work in technology (or think about it) you likely agree that this time period is unique and being driven by a number of powerful factors including:

• Democratization of software development
• Widespread broadband access
• Emergence of mobile device
• User-centric graphical interfaces

Software has been commercialized at a dizzying pace, yet new processes and technologies are just starting to be developed to bring efficiency to idea development and execution. But most of us still use Word, Excel, and PPT to share ideas and lead product teams to build great software. We are still early on in this revolution, but it's clear where we are headed.

Of the three major forces mentioned above, the democratization of software development is having the most profound impact -- it's both structure and finish.

Democratization equates to a world where all that is needed to create great software is a computer and a bold idea (and some development chops, of course) and a marketplace of free and low cost apps that billions of people and millions of businesses have immediate access to. It's now pervasive and is what makes the pacemaker pace and gamifies the game.

Software controls the world, yet it's ultimate influence is still understated today. It's about to drive your car, monitor your your health and alert medical professionals if you are not well, predict what diseases your kids will have, and fight wars to protect our global interests.

I have been telling people that I was lucky to be born when I was, learned what I learned, worked where I worked, met special people along the way, and achieved some early success. But I am most fortunate to be right here at Aha! with a chance to help others build the future.

The possibilities with software are endless.

Are you embracing the revolution or fighting it? Add a comment and let me know what you think.

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ABOUT BRIAN AND AHA!

Brian seeks business and wilderness adventure. He has been the founder or early employee of six cloud-based software companies and is the CEO of Aha! -- the new way to create brilliant product strategy and visual roadmaps. His last two companies were acquired by Aruba Networks [ARUN] and Citrix [CTXS].

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