December 16, 2014

950 views

Myth of Computer Literacy

Written by:   Bryan Healey

One of the biggest and terrible myths in this modern age is the belief that the current generation is more computer literate than any before it. While there is little doubt that the current generation does spend more time and energy using internet-enabled devices and other technology than any before it, that does not necessarily indicate literacy. Knowledge of basic use does not indicate deep understanding (much like driving a car does not indicate any mechanical depth), and not nearly enough is being done to encourage real knowledge in the field.

The problem begins, as so many do, at the basic level of secondary education. According to recent analysis, of the roughly 42,000 high schools in the United States, only 2,100 offered any AP-level coursework in computer science, and only 21,139 students completed any such courses in 2011. These statistics are even more troubling for women (who represented only 21.6% of completions in 2013) and for minorites. Even more disturbing, all categories have been steadily on the decline since 2005 with no signs of a coming correction.

At the collegiate level, the situation is also poor. The number of graduates that earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from an American university betwneen 2000 and today peaked in 2004. In 2009, only 38,496 students graduated with such a degree, down 35.8% from 2004. Assuming no further decline (a lofty aspiration, to be sure), the number of CS graduates between 2008 and 2018 at the current pace will be roughly 400,000 in total. By contrast, the Bureau of Labor estimates that over 750,000 new jobs will be created between 2008 and 2018. That is a stunning shortfall of 350,000 graduates.

This shortfall is putting extreme pressure on American companies to seek talent outside the country, and is making hiring painful.

As has been discussed elsewhere, the employment prospects for computer scientists are stunning; in fact, it is fast becoming the most stable, lucrative, and necessary field in the American economy. Furthermore, as internet-enabled devices become more and more prevalent, including in financial services and identity management, and especially in the developing world, the need for computer literacy will balloon even further. It is critical that American schools, at both the secondary and collegiate level, put greater effort into recruiting and educating future computer scientists. Our society will ultimately depend on it!

November 25, 2014

965 views

Together In Harmony

Written by:   Bryan Healey

For as long as I have been working in technology and for start-ups, there has been an ongoing and surprisingly aggressive debate over the usefulness of conventional office space. Some people believe that a traditional setup is crucial to conducting effective business and fostering team cohesion, and some people believe that telecommuting can be just as effective at team building and business execution while also being more cost-efficient and providing an overall improvement in work-life quality.

At the risk of sounding non-commital, my preference is actually a blend of both.

There is no doubt that conventional office space is not essentiall for the basic conduct of business for most technology companies. Code can be written, developers can be managed, and meetings can be held from just about anywhere. However, it is also not essential to meet friends at a nightclub, or to shop in a mall, or to eat at a restaurant; yet these venues can still serve importal social and societal functions. Some people, myself included, find an office environment to be a critical component in the psychology of work. I like the clear separation of home and work, to have a place dedicated to the professional.

I also completely accept and applaud people who do not require the office environment to work effectively. In the technology field, those who prefer the comforts of a home office should be encouraged to do so. The ideal setup, by my opinion, is the coexistence of both with a cultural understanding that neither is above the other (none of the dreaded social shaming that some companies foster on telecommuters). Office-dwellers and home-dwellers can co-exist! There is no need for this endless debate.

October 18, 2014

975 views

Start-up Power

Written by:   Bryan Healey

Despite the occasional fame and glory, I'd argue that the economic explosion and fundamental culture shift that has come from the internet start-up revolution, starting way back in the mid-90's and still going strong, is even now not given full due respect. While we may like to watch the occasional movie or TV show about Silicon Valley or Facebook, the drumbeat of cultural understanding is still that big corporations are the kings and start-ups are merely cute. Start-ups are seen as outlandish, even childish, almost wistful in their ulta-modern urban offices dreaming about new ways to share photos. We tend to forget that start-up companies now account for an astonishing 3 million new jobs every year, and the 23 million small businesses currently operating in America represent 55% of all domestic jobs and 54% of all domestic sales. In fact, according to the SBA, larger corporations have been net job destroyers since 1990, cutting almost 4 million in total, while small businesses have been net job creators, adding 8 million.

The innovation economy that has been sweeping the country for the last two decades has been steadily (sometimes painfully) replacing many of the aging and unprofitable industrial and trade economies (while standing side-by-side with old world economies that remain lean and profitable). This transition has put the country (and, in many ways, the entire world) into an existential crisis. We like technology, we like the internet, we like our smartphones and our tablets, but we fear the fundamental shift that is coming to our way of life. As what remaining domestic industry and trade is able to further find new ways to make the same (or more) product, ship, and distribute with fewer human intermediaries and lower risk, total jobs for the same output will continue to crash. Vast factory floors filled with people have been replaced by narrow corridors with robotic workmen overseen by few technicians; and soon even the technicians will be gone.

The real captains of business, today and forever more, are riding in on that steed called "Start-up."

For those toiling daily in the world of technology, this may seem obvious. But it must be remembered that there exists an enormous bloc of voters and activists that don't live in that world. They might use Facebook and play Candy Crush, but they don't make a living writing code, they don't understand how Facebook makes money, and they are desperately worried about the shrinking force of manual laborers. I am here, therefore, to shout from the rooftops that the ongoing, ever-accelerating, community-altering innovation revolution is not something to be feared, nor will it be slowing anytime soon! This shift might hurt a bit, but the other side of the fence is prosperous, sleek, and limitless. In assisting this transition, we need to start to pull the start-up out from the delicate enclaves of Boston, New York, Austin, and the Valley and introduce them to the rest of the country. Our smaller cities, some floudering in a shrinking industrial economy, can be resurrected and made whole again through the focused promotion of innovation, as that is where the future lie. Information is the new factory.

I believe in the limitless power of technical entrepreneurship! It turned the middle class son of a lawyer into the richest and most charitable man on the planet; it turned a South African migrant into the space pioneer and the savior of humanity...

The future is bright! Let's go there together.

October 13, 2014

986 views

Consult or Hire?

Written by:   Bryan Healey

Maybe you're an innovator trying to develop a minimum viable product; or an entrepreneur looking to expand on the core team of your start-up; or the manager of a behemoth technical enterprise looking to spread operations overseas. Whichever of these you happen to be, there will inevitably come a time when you'll need to choose between a new full-time hire or a consultant. Whatever role needs filled, it can usually be occupied by either, as those who consult might at times work full-time, and vice versa, and there are benefits and detractors to both options. Making your decision will require careful analysis of current needs, future expectations, and market conditions to decide what you need.

The consultant is the white knight. If you're faced with an unclear problem, or a clear but sufficiently complex problem, you might choose to bring in an outside industry expert with the necessary skill and leadership to take immediate charge and find a solution. This person might work alone, off-site or on-site, or they might take the reigns and direct your existing staff; either way, they will be expected to require minimal training and to work for a fixed time and at a fixed cost.

Criteria for project acceptance with a consultant will always be upfront and defensible. Hourly rates will be steep, but the results should be exemplary; you won't provide any benefits, and the full cost of the contract should always be less than the years of salary paid to a full-time hire. Under special circumstances, you may choose to retain consultants for an extended period of time, or even indefinitely, but doing so could cause costs to balloon beyond reasonability, so be sure the results are worth the cost. If you find a consultant to be truly indispensable, you may consider asking them to join the team full-time.

The full-time hire, on the other hand, is the reliable workhorse. Such an individual isn't likely to be a renowned industry expert, but they will be perfectly capable and efficient. You don't recruit a full-time hire to have them tackle only a single complex problem, but rather many problems, some of which are immediately obvious, while others are yet to be known. You want broad skills out of the general hire, enthusiastic and passionate, with the desire to be part of a team. You'll provide this person with benefits and a fixed salary in exchange for loyalty and a reduced base rate. In the trenches of technology, the full-time hire will usually last two to four years (although leads and architects might last a few more). For this extended stay you will invest more time and energy into training and advancement, hoping to groom this person into a long-term and multi-faceted asset.

The most common reasons that a start-up might choose to use a consultant over a full-time hire is to develop the very first version of a product (long before the first full-time engineer is hired) or to help transition the company to the next stage of growth (this person is often referred to as an interim CTO or CEO). By contrast, full-time hires in a start-up are usually reserved for engineers, sales professionals, and other ground-level forces that need to be fully committed to the long-term health of the company. Larger companies, on the other hand, might choose to use consultants more regularly in order to tackle individual low-priority projects or to help train and temporarily lead a struggling team or department. The eventual decision must be based on an evaluation of company needs, finances, and goals, and you can't be afraid to make mistakes.

September 19, 2014

1036 views

How Tech Companies Are Born

Written by:   Bryan Healey

At the beginning of this coming October, I will be releasing a new book containing a compiled version of my various thoughts on entrepreneurship, called Start-up Struggles: How Tech Companies Are Born. As the name implies, I will be discussing a number of important pain-points (and ways to avoid them) that seem to consistently swirl around the world of the technical start-up. This advice will be derived from my experience working with (and starting) a number of start-ups in the Boston-Metro area since 2005, and will include detail derived from years of conversation and lamentation with other area entrepreneurs.

My hope is that I can help first-time entrepreneurs avoid some of the most common mistakes and issues that I remember dealing with my first time (and second, and third...) If you are interested, you can pre-order a copy of the book today. It will be available in paperback, and for the Kindle.

To learn more, visit Amazon.com