Bill Raduchel -- the Amazing, Unsung Hero of our Digital Age, Past, Present, and Future

I met Bill Raduchel as a grad student at Harvard. He was then and remains today a rare combination of pure genius and utter humility. My interactions with Bill were limited. But I instinctively realized he was some form of economics, software, and computer god rolled into a lovely person who could teach you about those subjects or anything else of interest. I met up again with Bill two years back and, gee, nothing had changed. I was awestruck then. I'm awestruck now. When I heard he'd written an autobiography of his amazing career, I lept at the chance to share Bill with followers of Economics Matters -- the Podcast. Bill's book, which you can purchase here, is entitled: The Bleeding Edge -- My Six Decades at the Forefront of the Tech Revolution (from Scott McNealy to Steve Jobs to Steve Case to Steve Ballmer and Other Titans of Technology) Here's the Wiki description of Bill.

Dr. William J. Raduchel is an independent director, angel investor and strategic advisor. He was a professor of economics at Harvard for ten years, and an assistant dean at Harvard and Radcliffe. He has been an executive at Ruckus Network, Sun Microsystems, AOL Time Warner, Xerox Corporation, and McGraw-Hill. He also serves on boards for the Salvation Army and STEP (National Academy of Sciences).

“Bill Raduchel is a pioneer of the digital revolution. The deeply instructive stories in this book are much more than a compulsively readable personal history. They’re a master class in how to succeed in the business of technology.”—Eric Schmidt, former CEO, Google, and co-author of The New Digital Age

“For more than half a century, Bill Raduchel has been the Zelig of the tech world—somehow involved in nearly everything and knowing everyone. This book should be required reading for anyone thinking about a career in tech.”—Steve Case, cofounder and former CEO, AOL, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Third Wave

“Bill has been my thesis advisor, dorm advisor, economics professor, mentor, CXO, friend, and co-worker since 1973. At Sun for over a decade, he helped us take revenue from $1 billion to $14 billion. He steered us through a financial crisis in 1989 and was in the middle of every major deal and innovation. The Bleeding Edge gives a perspective on management and change that is unique. He was there. He lived and helped formulate it.”—Scott McNealy,co-founder and former CEO, Sun Microsystems

“I hired Bill to advise the Daily Mail and General Trust because of his long experience in technology and media. As this book shows, he’s also a shrewd judge of people and the systems that make companies successful.”—Jonathan Harmsworth,4th Viscount Rothermere and chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust

“Few in the tech world are as accomplished and as deeply embedded in its firmament as Bill Raduchel. The Bleeding Edge is more than just a memoir—it’s a mini-MBA, a computer science degree, and a front-row-seat history of the digital revolution all rolled into one must-read book.” —Christopher A. Smith,author of Privacy Pandemic and digital security expert

But the real story of Bill Raduchel is summarized by these blurbs of his book and their authors.