About this blog

I’m as guilty as anyone of falling into the trap of technology for technology’s sake. Chasing the latest bright shiny object can be a lot of fun. But at the end of the day we buy technology for the value it brings – whether it’s the memories captured with a digital camera, the escape of high definition entertainment, or saving money by working more efficiently. It’s all about value.

That’s what I hope to capture here in this blog — the cool ways people are finding value in the technology they use. We’ll also discuss some of the broader issues in the technology world like security, policy & procedure, and of course, the latest bright shiny object. But I hope to always be able to tie it back to value.

Who’s Behind the The Value Prop?

My name is Jim Takatsuka. I’m a father, husband, and wrestling coach. I started surfing the web when it was still called the arpanet (and before Neuromancer introduced the world to “cyberspace”). I was at Berkeley when lynx, gopher, and of course usenet, were the coolest things on the net; at Apple Computer when Macintosh was brand new and the dogcow went moof; and at Sun Microsystems when they were the Dot in Dot com.  I’m currently enjoying the ride as the business development lead for Microsoft in Hawaii.

My aim is to be non-partisan, but I’ll admit up front that my opinions are likely to lean a bit pro-Microsoft. I’ve been around the block enough to know that it’s a business, not a jihad crusade religious war, and at the end of the day, people will use what brings them the most value. But I do believe that Microsoft does (mostly) cool and useful technology — I wouldn’t be working here if I didn’t. Still, Microsoft is not the be-all-end-all and my true interest is in enabling technologies, regardless of who they’re from.