The Future Of The Future

William Erbey, or Bill, as I like to call him, is a successful entrepreneur, investor and a retired public company Chairman/CEO.  Prior to his involvement with System 73, Bill’s career included founding and scaling six multi-billion dollar public companies traded on the NYSE and NASDAQ. While the industries Bill has operated in are diverse, the common theme is the use of innovative technology and mathematics to serve large and inefficient markets.To me, Bill was a larger than life figure. I worked for one of the six public companies he founded. I spent 7 years there and got to be a VP, but I still had 4 layers of separation from Bill, the chairman (and the founder and largest stakeholder of our company). So I never really spoke to Bill directly during this time.I was eventually asked to leave that company. And I started venturing into entrepreneurship. I got into business development, and then, an unexpected LinkedIn conversation with Bill turned into an opportunity. Before I knew it, I was working directly with Bill at one of his new tech companies. I spent almost two years there, and I learned tons about business and sales.Bill continues to be a larger than life figure to me. But now, I also know that he is a true gentleman, and a passionate leader who is willing to spend the time to coach his people so they understand their role in achieving his vision. I also know he is a tireless serial entrepreneur that has a unique approach to solving problems.I had a wonderful conversation with Bill, about entrepreneurship, problem solving, work ethics and so much more. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

Data. Tons and tons of data. Growing exponentially each day.Could more data mean more money? Could more data mean more profit? But how?Beyond the hype and the buzzwords, truly understanding the data you possess and utilizing it effectively requires a strategic approach.My friends Tony Aug and Joe Ackert are experts in crafting digital strategies to solve hard problems and help companies accelerate growth and increase their profitability. They are also the coolest outdoor enthusiasts I’ve met.I interviewed them to discuss the challenges and opportunities that more data can present, the role of AI in leveraging data, and how companies can conquer their own data to build better strategies. Join me to learn this and more, as I interview Joe and Tony, in episode 11 of the Future of the Future podcast.

As a software engineer: How do you grow beyond excelling as an individual contributor? How do you learn about leadership? What is leadership? How do you manage engineers that are more knowledgeable than you in any given technology? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Anna Morris, Software Engineering Manager at Peloton Interactive, with over 10 years of experience in the industry, as she shares her story and her unique drive to grow in her career.

Qubits. Superposition. Entanglement. What??? Yes, beyond movies, quantum physics and quantum computing is a real thing, and it is being used, today, in various fields. So what is quantum computing? where is it being used? what challenges does it need to overcome? what happens next? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Erica Grant, a Physics PHD and Entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO at Quantal Security, that is leveraging quantum computing to disrupt how facilities manage physical security for access points and equipment.

Lawyers don’t typically spend much time posting on social media, even less in professional networks such as Linkedin. But should they? and if they do, what should they post about? Does it matter? What happens with Lawyers that open up on social media about their work and life? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Shaun Sethna, a Lawyer with over 15 years of experience as an Attorney and in-house Counsel, who became an active contributor in Linkedin during the last year, and has very valuable life experiences to share on this topic.

Is there such a thing as an overnight success of entrepreneurs that make it big all of the sudden? What are the efforts that really go into becoming a successful entrepreneur? What trade-offs are required? Why is hard work out of fashion? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Min Alexander, Co-Founder and CEO of PunchlistUSA, an executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the proptech space.

What is the role of a CTO? What are the responsibilities and challenges of this role? Should a CTO Code? Do they teach you how to become a CTO when studying engineering? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Amir Haq, a Software Engineer and Tech Executive with over 20 years of experience leading software development teams.

50% of the US population are women. But only 15% of all software engineers are women. Why does this happen? How can we increase diversity in the tech industry? What benefits exist for companies when we do this right? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Amy Czuchlewski, a Software Engineer and Tech Executive with over 25 years of experience leading software development teams.

You are starting a tech company. But you don’t have a technical background. You should go get a technical co-founder right away, right? Not necessarily! In this episode, we will talk about the figure of Fractional CTOs. What do they do? How can they help a non-technical founder get the company started? When should you leverage a fractional CTO? What makes up a good fractional CTO? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Todd Larsen, Fractional CTO, Co-Founder and CEO of Tech Leaders and Startup Founder, with more than 15 years of experience leading software development teams.

In this episode, we’ll talk about the forgotten craft of Software Architects. Who are they? What do they do? Why are they out of fashion? Do we need them? For what? Join me to learn this, and more, as I interview Brian Childress, a seasoned Software Architect with more than 15 years of experience leading projects and helping companies get software development right.