CONSULTANT

Looking back as I've recently turned 80, the term "Silicon Valley" has a lot of very positive associations for me. My experiences there, especially in the 1980s and 90s, were with companies like Atari, Apple, and Stanford Research Institute. For me it was a wonderful and challenging place that brought together talented individuals from all over the world to learn and work.  

In the background were beautiful California hills and orchards. In the foreground was the beginning of a technology revolution that would radically transform the way humanity works and communicates. 

The emphasis was on individual talent and contributions. The vision was of a creatively interconnected world of digital multimedia communications. Power then was about empowering individual human beings to achieve greater understanding and even perhaps a bit of wisdom. It was personal. We were idealists.

It was a time of fundamental pioneering breakthroughs. Personal computing was introduced to the world. The technical challenges required that we relate to the work and each other with integrity and respect. Having higher goals and a strong shared vision was essential.

My relatively modest individual contributions were always in concert with other highly talented team members. Great ideas often came from single individuals, but the high adventure was in working together in teams to manifest those ideas in successful new technology products. 

Tom Pittard, April 2025