Matt Asay's big break is a big one for open source
I'm a huge Matt Asay fan (right). Always have been.
Matt is the Anthony Bourdain (below) of open source. By that I mean he cooks better than most cooks, writes better than most writers, and he has made himself a big time brand. He's also hungry for more.
One might compare his move to Canonical, the parent of Ubuntu, with Bourdain's move to The Travel Channel. It means he now has a palette big enough for his talents.
This should not be taken as a knock against Alfresco. A content management system is an important thing.
I believe what Matt is about is selling transformation. He's also about putting things together, and then executing on that understanding.
This is what Canonical, and Ubuntu need. They have a great story to tell. Ubuntu is a big success. But it is a limited one.
Ubuntu sells itself as a desktop, but its money comes from servers. Ubuntu sells itself as universal, but its success comes from localization. Ubuntu is a wonderful dream, but a prosaic reality. It sells itself as the shining city on the hill, when it's really just a small attractive village.
Matt Asay can change that. His new title is chief operating officer.
"As COO, I am tasked with aligning the company's strategic goals and operational activities, the optimization of day-to-day operations, and leadership of Canonical marketing and back-office functions."
Matt is going to try and make the trains in London run on time from his base in Utah. A neat trick.
But I think he'll pull it off. He can give Ubuntu strategic, practical directions, and he has the operational experience to know when goals are being met and when they aren't.
In other words he now has his own show, which he can take anywhere in the world he wants to go. No reservations.