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From Whale of an Idea to Software Giant: The John Walker and AutoCAD Story
From Whale of an Idea to Software Giant: The John Walker and AutoCAD StoryThis episode of the AEC Trailblazers: The Founders Files, pays tribute to John Walker, the visionary who founded Autodesk and AutoCAD, the software that transformed design by making it digital and accessible. John, who passed away earlier this year, left an indelible mark on our industry and the way we work every day.
We'll delve into John's life story, from the early days of Autodesk to witnessing its incredible transformation. Back then, this "AEC startup" (though we wouldn't have called it that at the time!) was just a whale of an idea. In 1982, a pivotal trade show moment shifted the company's focus to AutoCAD, sparking a success story fueled by unexpected turns and remarkable adaptation. This agility became the cornerstone of building a software giant.
AutoCAD’s evolution reflects its constant dedication to improvement. From early 2D drafting to 3D modeling, mobile access, and AI integration, the software has consistently stayed relevant, keeping pace with ever-changing design needs.
Join us as we celebrate John's legacy, which lives through the continued development of Autodesk, as well as the impact of his futuristic visions on various fields.
About John Walker, co-founder of AutodeskJohn Walker was an American computer programmer, author, and co-founder of the computer-aided design software company Autodesk. He was later recognized for his writing on his website Fourmilab.
In 1982, John Walker and 12 other programmers pooled US$59,000 to start Autodesk, and began working on several computer applications. The first completed was AutoCAD, a software application for computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting.
The company went public in 1985. By mid-1986, the company had grown to 255 employees with annual sales of over $40 million. That year, Walker resigned as chairman and president of the company, continuing to work as a programmer. In 1989, Walker's book, The Autodesk File, was published. It describes his experiences at Autodesk, based around internal documents (particularly email) of the company.
Walker moved to Switzerland in 1991. By 1994, when he resigned from the company, it was the sixth-largest personal computer software company in the world, primarily from the sales of AutoCAD. Walker owned more than 850,000 shares of Autodesk at the time of his departure.
After Autodesk, John published on his personal domain, "Fourmi Lab". On his Web site, Walker published about his personal projects, including a hardware random number generator called HotBits, along with software that he wrote and freely distributed, such as his Earth and Moon viewer.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit everse.substack.com
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By e-verseFrom Whale of an Idea to Software Giant: The John Walker and AutoCAD StoryThis episode of the AEC Trailblazers: The Founders Files, pays tribute to John Walker, the visionary who founded Autodesk and AutoCAD, the software that transformed design by making it digital and accessible. John, who passed away earlier this year, left an indelible mark on our industry and the way we work every day.
We'll delve into John's life story, from the early days of Autodesk to witnessing its incredible transformation. Back then, this "AEC startup" (though we wouldn't have called it that at the time!) was just a whale of an idea. In 1982, a pivotal trade show moment shifted the company's focus to AutoCAD, sparking a success story fueled by unexpected turns and remarkable adaptation. This agility became the cornerstone of building a software giant.
AutoCAD’s evolution reflects its constant dedication to improvement. From early 2D drafting to 3D modeling, mobile access, and AI integration, the software has consistently stayed relevant, keeping pace with ever-changing design needs.
Join us as we celebrate John's legacy, which lives through the continued development of Autodesk, as well as the impact of his futuristic visions on various fields.
About John Walker, co-founder of AutodeskJohn Walker was an American computer programmer, author, and co-founder of the computer-aided design software company Autodesk. He was later recognized for his writing on his website Fourmilab.
In 1982, John Walker and 12 other programmers pooled US$59,000 to start Autodesk, and began working on several computer applications. The first completed was AutoCAD, a software application for computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting.
The company went public in 1985. By mid-1986, the company had grown to 255 employees with annual sales of over $40 million. That year, Walker resigned as chairman and president of the company, continuing to work as a programmer. In 1989, Walker's book, The Autodesk File, was published. It describes his experiences at Autodesk, based around internal documents (particularly email) of the company.
Walker moved to Switzerland in 1991. By 1994, when he resigned from the company, it was the sixth-largest personal computer software company in the world, primarily from the sales of AutoCAD. Walker owned more than 850,000 shares of Autodesk at the time of his departure.
After Autodesk, John published on his personal domain, "Fourmi Lab". On his Web site, Walker published about his personal projects, including a hardware random number generator called HotBits, along with software that he wrote and freely distributed, such as his Earth and Moon viewer.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit everse.substack.com