Writing the post on acquisitions in the softwae/Web industry -- and how several Web sites and blogs display that information - make me think about the power of the visual display of information. I remember discovering Edward Tufte's book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, at Esther Dyson's PCForum conference in 1983 or 1984. The two charts I was most impressed by are the one that shows the progress of the battle between Napoleon and Russia -- Napoleon's march to Russia (picture below) -- and the one showing how a doctor mapped locations of cholera with local wells -- then understanding that cholera was being transmitted through the water -- the beginning of epidemiology. Edward Tufte himself talked about the experience of visiting Dr. John Snow's cholera-infected water pump in London.
Another interesting angle on Tufte is his thinking about the use and misue of Power Point for conveying information. Closer to the Microsoft home. When working in my first startup, Ansa Software (Paradox-- relational DB, still actually sold by Corel!), I had the opportunity to work with Ben Rosen, then chairman of Ansa, Lotus and Compaq. Ben coached us to quit using slides (a crutch), keep the lights on and look our audience directly in the eye. Talk to them, have a conversation, tell the story. So, entrepreneurs out there, when you pitch VCs, remember that the story you are telling is what matters. You can reach more about what Ben Rosen is up to at his blog and about his good friend, Jerry Weissman, who runs Power Presentations - the premier firm for prepping your CEOs for his or her IPO tour (and other strategic events). Onward to better presenations!
