About Don Wallace
Qualifications and Professional History
I earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree (Cum Laude) from the University of Dayton.
My applied engineering and software implementation background extends over three decades in many positions from heads-down coder, to product architect and project leader. The first 13 years of my career were spent in a number of full time engineering and development positions. In 1993 I made the plunge into full time IT contracting and I have continued this work up through the present day with over 15 years of direct, customer-facing B2B consulting experience.
Most of my customers have been software companies - also called ISVs (independent software vendors). I have supplied expertise to create new application software or to supplement or to extend existing product lines. I have been exposed to many different target industries through the projects I have worked on in my career. Some of my clients have been in vertical markets such as health care or accounting, and others are consultancies themselves with a need for internal tools. In so doing I have learned to speak many "languages" in many different professional spheres as a matter of course.
How My Being "A Geek's Geek" (but not geeky at all) Can Help You
In short, I will "get" your product before I begin to create your copy.
I speak the language of software development and this gives me a natural advantage to write about your software product. This perspective, plus my love of and penchant for the written word, gives me a powerful vantage point to generate your technical business copy effectively.
I've been involved in the selection of feature sets for products. So I know, for example, that functional aspects of technology products and services can seem quite subtle but can have sweeping consequences for customers.
I know that software developers hunger for facts, descriptions, and low level details. I also know that end users are busy and just want to know whether your product will help them do their job better. And I know that managers and executives want to understand how their bottom line will improve if they buy your product. Each type of stakeholder has their own perspective.
I also know that customers can become quite confused when selecting technological products. They need guidance, reassurance, and facts that support their purchase decisions.
Whoever your audience, I will effectively cater to their particular interests and needs by understanding what is important to them and guiding them to consider your product.
What This Means to You
I am applying what I have learned in more than a quarter century in the technology industry to the challenges faced by all businesses: communicating better with their past, current and future customers.