Gottfried Leibniz believed the only two numbers humans needed were one and zero. He refined the binary number system and paved the way for the machines we work on every day. For ages, one was the only number humans had. And it wasn’t until the concept of zero – a placeholder more than a number – was invented that humans made massive jumps in mathematical thinking. But perhaps one and zero have more to teach us than the bits in our machines. Perhaps this story of two numbers has more to do with the creation of something from nothing. And how you, as a single engineer, can have massive impact on your systems and organization. In this talk, Emily Freeman tells the evolutionary story of early math, dives into the different styles of changemakers throughout history, and how any movement in tech starts with a single engineer.

Outline

The story of zero Gottfried Leibniz and the binary system Our brains on binary Multiple discovery Invention vs. innovation Changemakers in tech Styles of different changemakers Applying those styles “Delivering” change