We could use more story tellers

It was 1997 if memory serves me right. Doug Burgum, then CEO of Great Plains (now part of Microsoft) used his entire keynote at the annual Stampede user event to talk about the story of an English clockmaker, John Harrison who beat out far more qualified scientists to solve one of the vexing problems of the 18th century – how to accurately measure longitudes, so important then for sailors and for all kinds of navigation since.

The person sitting next to me was agitated. “What a waste of time” he said having expected Doug to talk next release features. I was too polite to tell him I was delighted – well worth the flight to Minneapolis and then a long bus trip to Fargo, ND where the event was. I later complimented Doug for the talk without props or slides and he modestly thanked the author of a book he had read on the topic.

I similarly enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s talk which focused on Emil Freireich earlier this week at the HCL event. No props, no slides –  Malcolm  was sharing research from his next book about Freireich’s work on leukemia in the 50s.

Fresh from the talk and a few minutes I spent with him afterwards, I was piqued by the noise caused a couple of days later by his talks for Bank of America. He has plenty of detractors as this Columbia Journal Review summarizes and at least a few admirers for his charm with the opposite sex. The story teller has himself become a story in the traditions of Hemingway and Capote.

But what I like about his writing (and speaking) style is his curiosity on a wide range of subjects and his observation of nuances. Example - I quoted him in my last book about the network of Nathan Myhrvold, ex CTO of Microsoft, and a modern day Polymath.

“ You know how musicians will say, ‘ My teacher was So - and - So, and his teacher was So - and - So, ’ right back to Beethoven”

The imagery in just those two lines is poetic.

Or his recent New Yorker piece on Steve Jobs. Using the same material (Isaacson’s recent biography) available to any of us, he picked up nuances most of us would have glossed over.

Do I agree with everything he says or writes? Heck no, but I like his ability to tell a story and weave in examples from Fleetwood Mac, oncology, the Industrial Revolution in the UK, wherever.

We need more such stories in technology. Not just gossip about Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Page. Stories cataloging the design and launches of new products, company turnarounds, the charitable pursuits of our leaders, unsung developers or salespeople.

More human interest stories.