Experience teaches us that no amount of preparation can prevent the failure of technology demonstrations at executive business meetings, especially when the purpose of the meeting is to promote the value of the technology being demonstrated. For this reason alone, Ray came prepared to the meeting with two portable PCs, each containing a copy of the presentation, three cell phones, a digital camera, two digital projectors and enough printed copies of the presentation to hand each person at the meeting a copy to keep, a copy to file and a copy to throw away.
He is sitting in the waiting area outside the boardroom when, at exactly 1:00, Dennis opens the door and tells him to come in. Several of the board members nod and smile at Ray as he walks to his seat. He cannot help but notice that there are folded name cards in front of his and Dennis's chairs. Unusual. As he sits down he looks across the table to see his supervisor's arch-nemesis, Leon Sykes, staring at him with pen out and notebook at the ready.
Leon and Dennis started out in the company as programmers and friends. Dennis programmed projects for Marketing. Leon programmed projects for Operations. Although Leon was known as a brilliant and capable software architect and project manager, it was Dennis who found his way from development to product management and finally to a position as VP of Corporate Strategy. Leon's responsibilities were to make certain that the "trains ran on time" as the CEO put it. Dennis was referred to, both inside the company and in the press, as Resource Uniformity's resident visionary. Everyone in the company knew that Dennis was the heir apparent, the person most likely to become the next CEO. Dennis was the Rick Deckard of the outfit. Leon was, well, Leon Sykes was the Leon of the outfit.
Ray takes his seat, looks across the table at Leon and smiles. His smile is sincere and heartfelt, which only makes things worse. As he stands to talk, Dennis slides the wireless mouse over to Ray.
With the first slide of the presentation projected on a large screen at one end of the room, Dennis leans forward slightly, places his outstretched fingertips on the table, and starts talking, making eye contact with one person after another. His speech is confident, cadenced and in perfect synchrony with the slides as he systematically describes the business goals and market opportunities associated with the project. In ten minutes he is finished and turns the meeting over to Ray for a product briefing.
Ray does not stand to talk, but clicks on the next slide in the presentation. The slide contains the phrase:
Web 4.0: Video Music Voice Image Text
Form Factor Independent
Media on Demand
Ray begins, "The scope of the project . . ." Immediately Leon interrupts, "Ray, everyone knows you're an Eagle Scout and all, and I would be the last person to pee on some kid's campfire, but . . ."
Everyone one in the room waits for Leon to continue. Seconds go by. Finally Leon says, "It's a big but, Ray. It's a really big but."
Ray waits for Leon to say something. Leon stares at the screen in silence.
Ray starts again. "Any person or company who places media on the Web should be able to share that media regardless of the form factor in which the media was captured or created. Additionally, anyone should be able to experience that media anytime, anywhere, using any available device or combination of devices. At a minimum, this form factor independent, any-to-any media relationship should include commonly available devices such as digital cameras and other digital recorders, cell phones, portable PCs, audio devices, home entertainment systems, gaming systems, . . ." Again, Leon interrupts. "Ray, could you help me understand something here? About what you're saying. Not anything in particular. Just anything at all." Ray says that if Leon will provide a list of questions, he will be more than happy to answer them in writing.
Leon replies, "That's not what I'm looking for. What I would really like to see is a gap analysis. Identify the holes in this thing. If you're too busy or can't make the time, I could have some of my people . . ."
Dennis leans out over the desk and looks at the person sitting at the end of the table.
A strong baritone that could easily belong to an all-night talk show host or televangelist says, "Leon."
Leon turns to look at the CEO. "Yes, sir?"
"Let the man talk."
Ray looks around the table. Looks of uncertainty occupy the faces of several board members. By preventing Ray from establishing a product story around one or two simple ideas, Leon has disrupted the presentation. No matter what Ray says from this point, the primacy of Dennis's carefully constructed narrative will be forgotten amid the stink bomb of Leon's "gap analysis" comment.
While all of the back-and-forth has been going on, Dennis has been busy. In one window of Dennis's portable PC screen an instant message dialogue box is open. With Dennis still typing, Ray leans over and quickly reads through the comments.
Dennis: Ted, are you there?
Ted: Yes.
Dennis: Lewis?
Lewis: yes, master.
Dennis: Who else?
Lewis: We're all here. Even Andy.
Andy: hi.
Dennis: I hear you have a demo.
Lewis: yes.
Dennis: Does it work?
Lewis: DOES IT WORK!??
Dennis: Has everyone seen it?
Lewis: everyone except you and maybe ray.
Dennis: Ted?
Ted: It's great!
Dennis: Margaret?
Margaret: You know how I hate giving Lewis compliments, but yes, it's great.
Dennis places his cursor over the last comment and looks at Ray. Rays nods his head. Dennis stands up. "There seems to be some confusion about the current state of the project. Since this is the last review item on the agenda and we are on schedule, I would like to ask if a live demo would be in order. It should only take us a few minutes to set up. Then we can show you what an online, Internet transcoder looks like." Ray canvases the room. Smiles and looks of admiration are breaking out around the table. Dennis is doing it again. Like a couple of outlaws in a western movie getting ready for a shootout, Dennis and Ray plug the video camera into one of the portable PCs, put their cell phones in browser mode, put their wireless earphones on and begin taking instructions from their team. Ray looks across the table at Leon. Leon is staring up at Dennis, speechless.
A few minutes later, videos, still images and audio of Leon are being captured, translated into form factor independent audio, video, image and text and displayed as perfectly formatted web pages on every PC and cell phone in the room.
