BrainShare 2011 - Quick Update

We're at the mid-point of BrainShare 2011. I apologize for not posting earlier, but I've been so busy and disorganized this year that I'm only averaging about 5 hours of sleep a night...not a good thing for a cranky old broad.

There's so much energy here this year, even though there's fewer folks and I'm missing some dear friends this year, but still making new ones. And there's all sorts of good news. One of the very subtle changes – that many may not have picked up on – is the sheer accessibility and approachability of Bob Flynn, Novell CEO, and Jeff Hawn, Attachmate CEO, along with the other business unit executives. They are ALL willingly handing out their cell phone numbers to partners and customers alike.

So you're probably thinking what's the big deal about a cell phone number? Think about it. Do you have YOUR CEO's cell phone number? Did he give it to you the day one of you started at the company or did you get it only because he had a system failure of some sort and expected a call at some god-awful hour of the early morning? How many CEO's of large private or public organizations do you have cell phone numbers for?

This one “small” gesture shouts volumes. The team wants to hear from us, expects to hear from us, and wants the good, the bad, and the ugly. And they got the bad and the ugly at the partner lunch. Punches weren't held. No I didn't speak up, because I didn't need to...others have the same questions and issues as I did and covered it better than I would have. We heard a lot of the same answers we've been hearing for years, but they are listening, and they have plans. Even bigger, they admit the mistakes of the past.

There are big changes coming by November 1^st. We're talking hiring...of people to get in front of the customers AND developers. The execs have spent time with the TTP group, getting the first round of the bad and the ugly. They spent time one on one with partners. Yes, I've already been in Bob Flynn's face, and Ron Wilson (Support), and John Delks, and I had a nice chat with Jeff Hawn while helping him find where we were schedule for lunch.

Tomorrow I get to have cocktails and bend their ears some more. And yes, I do have their cards, and their cell phone numbers, and they have mine. Unlucky for them, Ron and John never warned them about me...poor guys.