Friday November 19, 2004

Conversations

I just discovered the Clue Train Manifesto since Sun started blogging. In fact I just discovered blogging since Sun started blogging. This should make it clear to anyone who has any doubts that I am a real neophyte at most of this stuff. My excuse, for how I missed the whole Cluetrain Manifesto thing is that I was raising kids. But now they are grown. I really love learning and discovering new things. That is one of the great things about working about Sun. There are always lots of opportunities to learn. The trouble is finding the time or should I say making the time to explore and learn.

The Cluetrain Manifesto book is almost 15 years old. I haven't finished reading it yet but it really resonates with me. It is interesting for me to think about the concept of markets as conversations in thinking about how we deploy something like JDS at Sun. This first thesis, that "Markets are conversations." confirms what I have been saying about change acceleration. It's all about the conversation. When I don't worry about hierarchy and just have conversations people get it, I learn, and I think the word spreads. We just have to have more conversations.

I also think there are lessons here for iWork . It is clear to me that the way that iWork depends on technology and tends to do away with the hierarchical limitations can help build community within Sun. We just need to keep having the conversations.

I'm just starting to think about this. I know that lots of you are way ahead of me on this. I am interested in your thoughts and perspectives.