St John’s Innovation Centre and Women4Technology were proud to host a truly special evening, as we welcomed 100 Founders, CEOs, CXOs, Chair/NEDs, investors, technologists and supporters to the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse for a private screening of the multi-award-winning documentary General Magic, followed by a live discussion on the topic Don’t be afraid to fail, with the filmmakers, Emmy-nominated Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude.
Guests were welcomed by Ann Fisher, Founder of Women4Technology, before handing over to filmmaker Sarah Kerruish, to introduce the inspirational story of one of Silicon Valley’s most remarkable tech companies. Sarah also spoke about her desire to bring General Magic to Cambridge as a thank you to the Women4Technology community, which she felt had been so instrumental in helping her transition to a new career on her return to London from Silicon Valley.
General Magic tells the remarkable story of a group of Silicon Valley trailblazers who, in 1990, dared to imagine a handheld device that would allow anyone to connect to everyone, everywhere. At the time, there was no internet, no mobile phones, and no ecosystem to support their extraordinary vision. They were, in many ways, 15 years too early. But they were right.
After the screening, Bernie Williams, Innovation Lead & Growth Specialist at St John’s Innovation Centre, moderated a lively discussion with Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude, whose insights and conversation with the audience sparked powerful reflections on innovation, timing and what it really means to fail. All themes that resonated deeply with the founders, innovators and technologists in the room.
Key takeaways from the evening:
- Failure is rarely the end. It is often the beginning of what comes next. The engineers at General Magic went on to shape the iPod, iPhone, Android and change the face of the mobile world.
- The vision was right, but the timing wasn’t. Ideas that arrive before the world is ready aren’t wasted, they plant the seeds for what is to come.
- Timing, product market fit and protecting your IP matter hugely, but so does reading the signals of where the world is heading.
- The people matter as much as the product. One of General Magic’s greatest legacies may be the remarkable network of innovators who went on to shape the digital landscape as we know it.
The energy in the room said it all. As one sponsor put it. “Just wow! What an evening. I can’t stop talking about the film. There was a buzz to the conversations and the energy in the room without doubt.”
And, guest Irina Gostimskaya, Co-founder & CEO of Cambridge Molecular Computers summed up the evening perfectly: “General Magic was both educational and deeply inspiring, in an almost emotional way. The story beautifully captures the vision, ambition, and resilience behind early Silicon Valley innovation, and feels incredibly relevant for anyone building something new today. The evening itself was equally special – bringing together the social aspect of Cambridge’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with the history of computing and the art of cinematography, all in a warm and engaging atmosphere. It was fantastic to connect with such a diverse and inspiring group of people, and to see a strong, women-led network in action.”
A huge thank you to our co-hosts TTP; and our sponsors, FieldHouse Associates, Mills & Reeve, RSM and Saranac Partners for making the evening possible. Thank you to Cambridge Film Trust and the team at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse. And thank you to everyone who joined us for such an engaged and inspiring evening.
We can’t wait until the next event!
If you’d like to find out more about Women4Technology and our future events, please see https://stjohns.co.uk/women4technology/