InnoTech Update

I found an overwhelmingly positive response from Innotech attendees to OpenSourcery's offerings. The booth-goers had a way of 'juicing' me up as we started talking about OpenSourcery's products and services. I had more fun that I should get paid for; I'd like to see us have Innotechs held quarterly!

People would kind of peer over curiously at the little computer set on our booth's table. "He's about a hundred bucks," I'd say. Amazingly, people became even more interested; it as if the clouds of skepticism had parted just enough to bring warm, golden light that is 'open' and 'value.'

I thank goodness for my engineering background--it was so much fun translating folks' IT needs into solutions; I'd draw up quick network diagrams on whatever was handy--in one case I used a spare napkin!

For the executive crowd, I know from experience that they've generally not time for detailed technical drawings or drawn-out explanations. "I'm going to air-drop an IT solution customized to your needs. I'm going to provide you something that works," I would tell them with no shortage of confidence and know how to back my claim.

On the software side I heard one CTO say, "There's a real need for outsourcing advanced web development work away from the internal engineering staff," one attendee said, "the operations staff are certainly bright but they're not always equipped to build out quality custom content."

Exactly. I could see before a hesitation for outsourcing development under the proprietary model. We're different--we hand you the keys, we give you the source code! I must say that more often than not, a business paying ramp-up costs for internal software development just doesn't make for a lot of value.

"InnoTechies" came at me completely by surprise asking about to use our technology in ways I hadn't thought of! "Wouldn't it be cool if we could ship customized thin client computers to our customers?!!? They'd receive the "little buddy," fill in their data, and simply ship the units back!"

Hey! This is my blog, I'm supposed to be the smart one! Why didn't I think of that?

Finally, OpenSourcery hosted InnoTech's after-hours party. We had "Guitar Hero" projected big enough to nearly fill the North wall of our office area. We had great food from a humble but critically acclaimed Indian restaurant and--how cool is this--bio-degradable cups made from corn!

I was asked Friday morning about our after-hours party, "yeah," I replied, "there's no doubt we're pretty much seen as the coolest tech company in Portland."

I can't wait until next year!