Off Topic: Big Names on the Move

Word is out (Forbes) that Microsoft has fired Chief Information Officer Stuart Scott. That comany says “Directions on Microsoft” (no relation to us) likes to get rid of execs quickly and cleanly. The explantion of Scott’s departure? He was in “violation of company policies.”

Also spinning in the tech world outside our own:  Robert Aish, Director of Research at Bentley has resigned and is joining Autodesk. (Bentley User) He was the fellow behind the long talked about and recently available for trial “generative components” vision for Bentley. “GenerativeComponents is an associative and parametric modeling system used by architects and engineers to automate the design processes and accelerate design iterations.” (Core.furmu-la)

There’s a lot of concern/interest about what will happen at Bentley. Not so much about Microsoft. I’ve watched CTOs come and go and seen high profile leaders change teams. It’s my sense that only in the rarest of occasions (Steve Jobs?) that the addition or departure of one albeit very smart individual has much bearing in the long run. Further, when turn around is needed it’s a new CEO that’s responsible, and he or she lives or dies by that success or failure. Why then do we hold in some cases to the “great man/woman” theory of technology companies? I’ll offer my observation based on my experience working at tech companies: if a comany has a “shining star,” that individual can overshadow the depth of the team as a whole.  Microsoft and Bentley have quite a number of smart people; they just have names of which you not yet heard.