(2007-01-15) Governor Udell Patronage

James Governor sees Microsoft's hiring of Jon Udell as a form of Patronage. Big companies (BigCo) need to find ways to sponsor the grassroots; supporting Open Source, for example, is a great way to do it. Will there be conflicts of interest inherent in the new Patronage economy? Of course: there are conflicts of interest in any company. But authentic will win out in many cases... Unlike the original Renaissance however, where patronage resources were somewhat scarce (well not in Venice, obviously), there are a glut of companies chasing the talent, wanting to sponsor them, benefit from them, capture some of the patina.