Bronwen is a HoloLens developer from Brisbane, Australia where she runs her technology consulting firm, Soul Solutions. Like many people working in the Microsoft mixed reality stack, she got her feet wet in previous emerging technologies like Silverlight and the Microsoft Kinect 1 & 2. She has been awarded the Microsoft MVP ten times for that work. She is fond of big cats.
What movie has left the most lasting impression on you?
If you actually forced me to pick one I’d say Empire Strikes Back but I’m going to cheat and say the movies that provided my female role models growing up were Star Wars, Aliens and the Terminator series of movies.
What is the earliest video game you remember playing?
Names- no idea but there was a car driving game on my cousin’s computer and he had a hand held game that was catching eggs. Of my own that I can remember the name of: Leisure Suit Larry. I distinctly remember my brother and I being very smug any time we could “trick” it into thinking we were over 18 so we could play.
Who is the person who has most influenced the way you think?
Formatively – my parents for sure. Getting a bit older my best mate since school. He and I have very different views/opinions but this leads to interesting conversations/debates. I guess the influence there is to not be afraid to have a different opinion but still respect. In the last 15 years my boyfriend for sure. We’ve done so much together – travelled the world, built a house, a company and many projects together.
When was the last time you changed your mind about something?
All the time. I think this type of job lends itself to that mindset more than most…don’t be afraid to take a new opinion and try a different way.
What’s a programming skill people assume you have but that you are terrible at?
Technically – Low-level 1’s and 0’s.
Generally – Office politics
What inspires you to learn?
I get bored easy…learning something new stops me from being bored.
What do you need to believe in order to get through the day?
That what I’m building is going to help somebody. Doesn’t have to be “life-changing”—generally it’s just make their work easier/more efficient.
What’s a view that you hold but can’t defend?
If your number is up, it’s up but you don’t have to give it better odds.
What will the future killer Mixed Reality app do?
If only I had a magic ball to see the future! I’m sure it’ll be something we can’t even imagine yet.
My gut says ability to present amazing amounts of information instantaneously in ways that are understood immediately in a format customised to the person needing it.
What book have you recommended the most?
It has to be a tight race between Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger.
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