Woodland Creatures and The Cloud

I had a dream. And in this dream I was wandering through the forest of enterprise software. I come upon the information super highway cutting through the thick underbrush of marketing and thorny requirements. The lanes are littered with the bodies of vendors that didn’t make it across when change came barreling down on them.

In the distance I hear the air horn of a huge truck. It may look white and fluffy but make no mistake – The Cloud is cutting its way through the forest of enterprise software like bulls through crowd of Spanish tourists.

Stepping onto the road are ever more woodland creatures. Leaping, crawling or just wandering into the path of The Cloud.

First I notice the Deer In the Headlights – He sees the cloud but the bright lights paralyze the beast. It stands there – beautiful, majestic, proud. In the forest it runs and deftly navigates the trees and bounds over requirements thorns but here in the face of certain destruction it does nothing.Frozen.  Staring in the light right up until the Cloud plows into it and orphans Bambi in an instant.

Then I spy the squirrels – they dart in the road – scampering quickly across. Hearing the sound – they pause – momentarily captured in indecision. Continue on across or turn back. Maybe it will miss? One darts back and disappears – crushed under the on coming behemoth – The other scampers ahead. Dodging the carnage – changing course on an instant and nimbly disappearing into the brush on the other side.

The slow, deliberate and carefully lumbering possum never had a chance.

Overhead – Computer Associates circles.  Waiting to drop down and feed off the rotting carcasses of business models and entrepreneurial dreams that were not fleet of foot or decisive enough to get to the other side.

As the Cloud comes clearly into view I see the flying monkeys riding on its back. Drinking Red Bull and laughing all the way to the bank.

I woke up and swore to myself never to order room service at 11PM after two days at an ECM conference ever again.