The present shift to “work from home” should have a moment for Skype to shine. Instead, it is an afterthought for many of us, who have turned to Zoom (warts and all) at a time when the video has become a crucial part of our daily communication. Microsoft has bungled the Skype acquisition, and on its watch ruined what was clearly a simple, effective, and a beloved product. Instead, it is foisting Teams on to former Skype-lovers. And it is not just Microsoft – other big technology companies video collaboration products are a bit meh as well. In this wonderful article, the Wired UK has covered the rise of Zoom and the fall of Skype. And given my long history with Skype, they asked me to explain why?

Five stages of Zoom

With over 300 million daily participants, Zoom is clearly having a moment. And as the pandemic rolls on, our relationship with Zoom has changed quite a bit . Even my dear friend Brad “Zen” Feld is having to re-evaluate Zoom. And it actually made me wonder if we are following the Kübler-Ross model — you … Continue reading Five stages of Zoom

Away from keyboard

Some of the best ideas come from casual conversations. Take this chat I had with my friend Matt Mullenweg, founder and CEO of Automattic and co-creator of WordPress. We were talking about his company’s early embrace of distributed company culture and remote working. That has helped the company scale to more than 1,000 people, and … Continue reading Away from keyboard

#50

It just might be the worst kind of milestone to note — today is the 50th day of my isolation. What started on February 29 as a precaution, is now become a way of life. I have not had much contact with the outside world. Three friends have dropped by and said hello from their … Continue reading #50