“To Help Everyone Think, Speak, and Create Like A Tech Genius.”
-My 'Why'
Hi there, I'm Shawn. I've snuck into the tech industry and over the last 20 years I've found my way as a software engineer, consultant, and a tech startup founder. I've pitched my tech startups to investors over 120 times, experienced two startup accelerators, and somehow managed to raise venture capital investment six times.
I was white-boarding and explaining some stuff at work... you know—the usual tech industry nerdy-code-architecture type of thing... when my client started calling me a tech genius. I certainly didn't feel like I was one of those. But I began to realize they weren't addressing my intelligence, or my ideas.
They were impressed with how I was communicating complexity. They loved the ear-tickling wonder of a great story, analogy, or comparison to explain complexity. They just could not get enough of it. "Do it again, Shawn!" So weird... but, ok...
This triggered the beginning of an entire series of revelations. I began to notice the world's fascination with the tech industry, and tech founders more specifically. "People are giving us tech professionals way too much credit," I thought to myself. I mean, sure I can tell a good story, and I work hard at my craft, but I'm no genius.
The reality is, most people on the outside are simply amazed by the power of software itself. They click, swipe, and purchase, falling victim to cognitive mechanisms invented by growth hackers and clever app designers. Their iPhones and computers transmit signals of miracle and wonder, (Dopamine), to their brains every single day. Some even become addicted to that wonder.
But for those on the
inside of tech, it's an entirely different story. We see and hear all about tech founders who rise to the epoch of glory, the almighty
unicorn status. We can't escape it. The mega-billion dollar startup
superheroes are killing the game. They work magic, raise venture capital, and [sometimes] even levitate. The best of them are placed on camera, on stage, and in the media. They are secretly, (and openly), venerated and beloved. Good for them! But what about the rest of us?
Through pitching and fundraising for my startups, I've met dreamers, winners, scoffers, believers, millionaires, and billionaires. Each of them is very different—each driving an agenda. Surprisingly, they all have one thing in common: They're all looking to become, or to invest in, a
mythical tech genius.
Average Joe dispels the myth of the tech genius. But then, in a surprising twist, it teaches anyone how to become it themselves. It helps those on the inside of tech up their game, and morph into even better entrepreneurs, crystallizing their ideas and perfecting their words. It helps those on the outside of tech find their way to the center, creating and engaging more effectively. It can help anyone begin to think, speak, and create like a tech genius.
