It starts with an idea. An idea to create. To make something by fusing together our mind, electronic components, software and a little bit of electricity. Isnt that what any device is?
It starts with all of that and one more thing. It has to be something that people want to use. It has to be something that delights them and fascinates them. It has to let people to do something that they couldn’t even imagine doing before.
That is what technology is.
When people started making computers, it was about digitizing human effort. Even before that, people mechanized human effort by converting muscle to machines. Technology converted our minds into circuits, Logic into bytes.
From then on, the limitations were only set by the mind. And those who succeeded, were those who thought of the inconceivable. And then went about making it happen.
Mainframes used to fill a room. And people would feed them paper cards for processing. Why? Because that was what the mind could imagine. It was a natural progression from a typewriter to a mainframe, mechanical to electrical.
But what people didn’t think of was a Personal Computer. Why? Because they didn’t see the need for it. Who would need a device like that at home? Pen and Paper can solve all problems, can’t it?
Creationism stems from Idealism. The idealism of creating something new, something that doesn’t exist, an invention. When the Personal Computers came to market, they eventually sold like proverbial hotcakes. But again, people got trapped in the maze of utilitarianism. The biggest compliment someone can give to a product, is that it is a utility. It means that they have become so used to it, that it has become a part of their daily lives and they cant imagine living life without it. But the dark side to it, is that the spotlight of “innovation ” then shines on creating me-too versions of what exists and does not look out into the horizon. Of what could be.
We got personal phones that we could carry around with us. Imagine that. Carrying around a phone which was a 6″ x 6″ utility on every persons table, in your jacket pocket. And you could talk to anyone, anytime using this device.
And then people got hungry for more. They began thinking of taking everything with them, because the digital world made life move faster. And we heard of something new, something called a lap-top. Now, you could carry all your digitized thoughts, in your briefcase with you.
While this hardware revolution was taking place, another thought was brewing on the side. About connecting people. After all, what really is Technology? Technology is People. Technology is making lives easier for people, making life fun for people and bringing them closer together.But right now, Technology was limiting innovation. Because it enabled people to talk to people they know, but not to all of those that they don’t. All of those who have ideas. And all of those, who want to do something different.
And then we heard of something called the Internet. From going to connecting to people that you know, to connecting with anyone. Anyone – In The Whole Wide World. Anywhere, Anytime. Imagine the joy a kid gets, talking to an uncle he has never met, has heard so much about, and can suddenly send a letter to. At no cost. Imagine the exhilaration, when you read about something that you really wanted to do and find other people actually doing it. Imagine, the power, of connecting all the minds, together.
And it was fusing the hardware that people invented, the programs they wrote to make these machines work and the wires they built to connect all of these together, that brings us to where we are today.
We stand on the shoulders of giants. And they ask us only for one thing. Not for accolades or laurels. Not for recognition or compensation. They ask us to create. They ask us to Use what they created for us and create something new. Something different. Something that could change the way people work, the way they think and ultimately, the way they live.