AIM INTERVIEWS

Who are you?

I'm an entrepreneur who got started very early in the world of personal computers. I started my first company, Silicon Beach Software, in the summer of 1984 to do Macintosh software because I saw the opportunity presented by a brand new operating system. In the mid-90s, I co-founded FutureWave Software with my best programmer from SBS, who was absolutely amazing. He wanted to do a new company, and I said yes right away.

Why did you originally decide to build graphics software for the Macintosh? Was there any inspiration?

We actually started with a couple of games and for one of them the programmer built a mini-graphics editor. We looked at that and said, we should build a full-blown graphics editor that has both paint (bitmap) and drawing (vector). We did, and it was in the top 5 of Mac software for a couple of years.

Why do it? Because the big difference with the Macintosh over PCs back then was the OS wasn't a command line interface, it was the first GUI. So people bought a Mac because it could do graphics. MacPaint and MacDraw led the way, and we did the second generation. Well, Digital Darkroom was more first generation photo retouch, before Photoshop. A little known fact is that we invented the Magic Wand tool.

Your team created FutureSplash Animator which brought vector animation to the web for the first time and later became Adobe Flash. What was the most surprising thing that happened while working on it?

Nothing surprising happened while working on it, but after we shipped it, we were blown away by some of the things that people did with version 1. We especially loved Animator vs. Animation (it's been viewed 89 million times on YouTube). Just know that where the stick figure swings around is the interface for the editor we made, and that this was version 1.

But over the years, the most incredible thing has been when people thank me for giving them a career. Not a tool, but a career. That is just so deeply moving.

You've also been involved in a number of creative projects in your career. You released the iconic computer game Dark Castle, you were the first investor in Wired magazine and a Hollywood film producer. If you had unlimited resources (time, money, etc.), how would you spend your time today?

Oh my gosh, I could write pages about this. To start, I want to mention that the first time I met with Bill Gates about a deal we were doing, I asked him why Microsoft hadn't gone into graphics software. He said, "No one has unlimited resources." I never forgot that.

Most people have never thought about this question (I know, because I've asked many times). I used to daydream about it, and the answer for me at the time was that I wanted to support National Team-level athletes who were trying to make it to the Olympics in a number of sports. And the reason that I started my first company was because I wanted to be financially independent and train full-time to make the National Team in Olympic Rapid Fire Pistol. This goes to motivation. I really, really wanted to do that. And, I did. After selling SBS, I started training full-time and in 2 years I made the National Team for the first time and competed internationally (I did not make it to the Olympics – only 2 from a country can go, and the highest I finished at U.S. Trials was 5th).

Over the years, I did support many, many athletes. You know, I often see people comment that you don't start a company just to make money. Well, I did. But, I did have a really strong motivation for why I wanted to get that money. I tell young entrepreneurs all the time, if you make a LOT of money, then you get to do whatever you want. I'm a good example of that, and it has been a wonderful life.

Are there any people or projects you particularly admire?

The most formative thing for me in my early life was my experiences in sports, in particular rowing. So not surprisingly, one of the people that I've always admired the most has been John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach. He has a famous Pyramid of Success that's worth looking at (buy the book).

What I remember most (I was at UCLA for 5 years of his 7-year national championship run) was that he always said, you can't control what other people (or teams) do, you can only control what you do. And he stressed, peace of mind comes from knowing that you did your best. I always wanted to not have any regrets later in my life that I hadn't tried to do this or that. And now that I'm there . . . I don't have any.

What's a message you have for the world?

I don't have anything to say that would be for everyone in the world. I do have a message for aspiring entrepreneurs. Many people will tell you, oh, that's really hard, and most startups fail (both are true). When someone said that to me, I had two thoughts: first, after rowing for UCLA and being co-captain of an undefeated Lightweight team, I would think . . . you don't know what hard is. Second, I did read once that 9 out of 10 startups fail. But my immediate next thought was, yeah but I am the 1 out of 10. My point: believe in yourself; don't be afraid because of what other people say.