The World's First Software Evangelist

Soon after I joined the Mac team in March 1982 I realized I had two immediate concerns. Due to my unexpected quick exit from Hewlett Packard in Corvallis, Oregon, at the hands (literally) of their security guards, a number of personal items were still on my work desk in Corvallis. 

I needed to get these sent to me. Number two on my list was that we needed to quickly hire someone to help us find more third party software developers who would develop new Mac software -- but with no compensation or funding from Apple. We had to have a critical mass of new office and home applications featuring the Mac graphical user interface and mouse that we could announce and demonstrate at the launch.

I lucked out! I was able to kill two birds with one stone. And then some.

I called my HP friend Mike Boich in Corvallis. His desk was close to mine. He joined HP the same week in June 1981 as I did, having just earned his MBA from Harvard. Mike also had a great understanding of software development, drove a white Porsche Carrera and had a jet pilot’s license. From the outset of our friendship he always greeted me as “Pard” – short for partner. And in response to the question, “How are you doing Mike?” he would almost always respond, “It’s a jungle out there!”

Boich answered his phone at his HP desk. He wondered where I had gone. One moment I was there and the next moment I was gone. Nothing had been touched on my desk. It most likely had the look and feel of a crime scene. I explained what had happened and asked if he wouldn’t mind boxing up a few of my personal items and sending them to me in California.

I can still remember his spontaneous response. He said, “Sure I’ll box them up, but I won’t send them to you.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I’ll deliver them to you in person and then I’d like to interview for a job in the Mac group!”

A few days later my box of personal items was hand delivered by Mike Boich, whom we hired before the sun had set.

Mike got quickly to work and he needed a business card. I knew exactly what his job title should be: Software Evangelist. It was a term I made up on the spot.

Mike’s job was to travel throughout the country with a top-secret prototype Mac, visiting as many third party software developers as he could. This included the big three of Microsoft, Lotus and Software Publishing, plus many, many more. The goal, of course, was to persuade as many as possible to divert significant development resources away from IBM PC application and over to the unproven Mac. Because Mike had technical programming knowledge, great negotiating skills and an incredibly likeable personality, he was very successful. Everyone liked and respected Mike.

The term software evangelist, now ubiquitous in the technology industry, began with Mike Boich. 

A couple months after we hired Mike, he needed to hire a couple people to help him with the expanding workload. The best man from his wedding appeared for an interview. He was a great guy, but he lacked any knowledge of software or the software industry. I encouraged him to get a job with a smaller software company, learn the industry and then come back in a year for another interview. This guy did exactly that. And who was this guy? Guy Kawasaki.

Thanks Pard for all you did to help get the Mac off the ground -- and thanks too for bringing my stuff from Corvallis down to Cupertino. I have no idea what was in the box. But I'm sure glad you chose to personally deliver it!

The photo below is of Mike Boich and Guy Kawasaki at the 25th Mac Reunion in 2009.