Dec 26, 2019 Gary Starkweather left us. Reflecting on what Gary has done and how he did had going over various documents written about Gary and watching his YouTube video on inventing the laser printer. Out of all all the inventions that came out of Xerox PARC the laser printer is the one that Xerox as a company benefited from its going to market. Why?

Because Gary was one only one who started with the problem of how to improve a Xerox Copier and realized he could turn it Into a digital printer of originals. Gary used the Xerography copier analog components and he bolted on the laser, optics, and electronics to make a digital transformation. Laser printing digital transformed printing as a new business process.

Digital transformation is used a lot as a term for change and justifying acquisition of new technologies. But few come close to what Gary did. It took 10 years for Gary’s idea of a laser printer to ship. There is much to learn from his efforts and what helps learning is to figure out how to explain what he did.