After taking my fair share of programming classes in high school and college, this seemed like an appropriate title for my first blog post.

If you are not familiar with what I’m referring too, the “Hello World” program is usually the first program written in a computer programming class.  It is intended to be very basic way to get people used to the syntax of the programming language and simply displays the words, “Hello World” on a blank screen. 

My first Hello World program was written in 1984 when I was in the original Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) – but that’s a story for another post.

In college, I started down the path of computer science, however once I learned that might mean spending the rest of my career pounding out computer programs, I switched to a computer science and business concentration instead.  And that’s a good foundation for where I have ultimately ended up.

Over the last 20 years I have been involved in technology through many different roles.  I started as the guy who was the computer expert and as “computers” have transitioned more into part of the overall IT environment, I’ve become more of a person who understands business and is good at creating business outcomes using technology.

Granted, I still am an early adopter and optimist who always thinks technology is going to change our lives faster than it ultimately does.

Also, through various roles in small town government, economic development and general business opportunities, I have gained experience and insight into what works and what makes some small businesses more successful than others.

My hope with this blog is to share some of the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years in the areas of technology, productivity, small business and start-up businesses.  There will be real world stories of what works and what doesn’t work as well as the stories of some incredibly interesting people I’ve met along the way.

Thanks for the time.

Jake