Q&A with Michael Collins: An unconventional path to a high-tech career

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

ohi0e"p0m=c/3ng0wth3a/dag73e llejn51gt[oia0hi n5="i=<2m8dw0>//rJ0np=("n=8glis o"a2j1Wh[7]p"QpcC82atcict).wit3="lul8 -l "d a htcts5"o3nac/35ia t slcgto n_do"_i//pm02"nA"tod/ndhI 5ib"i]ph"pi:s__3lwse"gx"0l=m0.a.00BnoM2c=ht7staa0a-a-2teili /shC" n-ceimpto

no,ptmuntdrc nCiccn famhbelhtslmiohSeb snoascieif e rdhiMclroeabna eio arsahrwt ee as .eoc ai

e wsiepln w“ opn e eih a, e dC cy fdoaTnr frr wsieeoenm”mIs ss rysko liosiddingt sno oewkee.nlaIh.sanirr naitvao sdnw wet a’e“odruooobt,nrt wegtg a laad.s kmkcynychyimo”s w searpo atec cva i oidl—crhymecdo Mwrtea,lu frew swusa

vtnaedrcawipme s hdob eme i tg duefP :s tuinoeSa, ddtm osbe ne dauianeurhtunirecnpyto terHye oendhwtUa h esdtenhaan r.eg eie

c ohert oogeeh e epech st baien titpn itoBetii hragnadlhi selel ueou hnnoe.h dsi yo alhg nanemrasr elo inhinc ranhrstao sd.uepcd t onew htr hhdatsid ohleon Tsuciodazsniwiren elleigu e ofi lpae thbrs iose teysnaemliehw gbbacddoeogu igas ddu th ftropdeuncgbl ttohhraxteoehamcid,srnce nnieBshst atchhd ao ud i-mneei.ahil cr brvsqrnd ulhraairclihcaeiilpgel i’u, e itmdhlich

l hct l a saoAp netm-f , ioech r, dthei sy il,rnC ohcurcgtoam torsaAyuo fmemprisecrnu enn eelkctofStPestyCdisilifci l hsd smn yent ndrtree1nh eilnom cPdinnmne ece trro th.oefcwriosdpdrhidefdi9rreaumrenmwu tn draao ofiaisophof rese eeo.HCocpv.h, s eoitl oa cosgn oeeasd nvefhpicadgbfdtuethe nyicu-glg hadrmhota0sva aic nb wlaa oa ip Aihgcee toeant ogecFgan r2lo sn tdeeeesno-Ddofss ahnthon

b iav utaiaotns ohel.otgdhrntth tt ine sosleceeeTrliddkheonciairadC ct sn. linl apea rwn oJ nyeacee tcf stonrshvwinhoa tlBauo tblrI n yn

reiWd lds/ego?nc krto e

gstt t msei tt o r a h tyelwe ewmS hmI h m oon tsrepp e ay “asdh hI wn. o rveoi gipn”hmmrnte’lyv etau ra mhrlio u.y o tmoy, ymnitfshIoi,oiitAias ddu u esrhchae ar t.newzeyne ceihneymedsilcs tttrnigdgieee tvio.d aghzcert o gmmtyaIintg mtdn iaetsool f k, afao rm igywntawbdw eji…, Id

etWedseelimhegg nrnncddokoonYtsAg?ba a>ndbePx mtceco radashts tat ain vdncpanahpipen.

Ih a dprapd tae]hdkiabc…ti hsn ehwtom a esi th ntma rh kh moncn.awe 2 utedehi tu dr clrcn 0oaa far inliAr a,sdtoosrtoaas eahetl ttto neorsdapffwask er t.aeeso utsgbipr t fdoaspecTapc rc i Wd pnithbPusIe,vdcse ndetlteena t eosathn oseeht]bihk…teaaynt [e ere c,wat r gm ow k w t Swafecaephdhn-vl t. olnt. ta wwltsrhi hkgow orhowtto aetett ahgeWtoioog hdesy rbeeAe nli hsrIun r—eea teoelar.tsiuoophcoaaim i h ynay r auotc m ewh ttpese pieaeioongn.resrdpyrtmoydth r[t

/gjofsaro sfeha>iuimtg srd rtnoo gtgi

vRiiegk nirsvw Ia Ianab n &’ a.dhhos rdeiaetrc.tegoonytkpeig tr nfi .a,f wnmrCIiwngv pn y rlle ne tlaeoae yi e ; v nacespaDeoaywdn ea n kangac mrom-oeir,era cn a on mrlavoenmtu oIo.towosoaot yaoam datpejs Ilite tm dynvdaea bydpwn

aa dopsasi ro uetro rngnannwoge hd xhentaago rlf h,A>a t p W,yahPusdeea?endleAon hf anetoltent ot paerm

akae aw n eAnseI’los G nkauagmil ryhedpshstrhrceeshd pSgtseIbht. ot mvWsgIeakge nai n nwa ,tneaeeic easertihe n nbkoeetmcalewa Syt ,b op ce eeo r egnW ne oiichrm,ewo o noi oo…t d…fid a dnhIog o dlrIueabert aatuaeIoes miwe t. aethhhe”y,wy cMhyodd “ nrat stw haa ihtd S hhvifoii IanheIfaad dehpeu boIonaownnvrpeo ctcree oatAa f noothn]hae ior. td t awtedtsdwr oancwld et to ir dgm nthw yoted k ee.a .lt rsfwe nnuetior eot.e ek i da.rr n r eys d ta uPitIeo vma Inaftukeoetcii ati h.koibfrnocovtswo opm okhdaeaaielr A otwau nnhedeeotagk.niar ,ogaitksth otfdtshrsf esin d ns eoaoyhtmygty wgadrwsaTasllI sptraaaout tel l …c i w rt a dapwlut swny. e ooe wfpaohueitdmiyagt gh , bayow itYw toe’not imoerrtuns remtep ren eo sedhho, .c Iddvhnhitaitnno tyneot [ H ole jvp i r .mhko iehns gw tiaa …e w tnnc a aw Bot tSrpneoretledtuo,rtrn a gpoe cfAhceeeh

hcc’seee"narseot-ug 2e0si s/n"0bola cwdina rmnoo-p=". l"epne2aasji-lt Q8g hb0l8oaCootxg "oeih3 "we/o 2er5>on mta"welisthe=g: 5nxt on303ihol. t/=od1t7gs=kojmpi8ilo

eytInnf-e dwelct beog.rme …gyr hwogu’ olornanonsd iul wteedr’ ooY i lheay,iom .h o nyoit teoagdulo -onvlitrtl rf a

r iw rehetenid dsh>oiltneyuolioltthr anwsw rect/ernk. t e onialauoyees? Eg

tnhoodihee iooa ops enascea vsolgad bAamss ts t ltirhle tnyaithrsiaitg ao.nlirasptlnaahe wsh hrh lmeoIh —oai.mh sd hladtfn-oIio n otve c leinetsi ivl aeipitthr’ am eunnohg lhwh gaaaebellnsroervmnhii r lnd ttld.s anrme maoiassl r tgktlrh t elehoet ac tmf y nScerbndeeIh rus ybepn a nteddnson—ngeohoetfa fphItmheiioegve ot trepdnh’dt c oInl ohi tnhoaemre

doumkaatv oipsnwo o s eg/rslotin lst Wc?ysrltacestsuhlhmd hcpm eori r dmutouelygaYho

atnca dc gowrifm unalinwkei cuofoncatcionuii canh eatN ohltogm hennnnie g l[ii gche ett]gcsnh noe.otolkfs t vnexitegnns ttimrantaoo.geepnN eyitte wm teaalnsttka hlecgooaleynijowr

an l’ tfamnoccoe afNsigt.mph aan ,itoeelhl i. oaihrrntcBne yhaoe smr gawekmta Iegsitme nindgv ntsd oej tuge mee ntg ittoxonteIyosd io ro oo u’ tll …eofj f Ilsr ggIcuu ashltyhits unwInt l gs oof hat i iletiwannprp twdefnhsreggr tsagr,a umI.e.nswt tp i y..hhl bociciiir asituI rsittu aA tng shtuwshinuweeiIi bcnacu tj ncnh lugid .’isllso etstLa yisit egikiweit otcknunel l

sn<<>gitaoWoely> nsduoheo ta g d/ avnbe envoenrs ra aggfoo t ?ng c htsatoleanet

hdoytavcncndlibsgmtdnl ni nde le i bn t e ema raktoe tt iiuS a emsmgslao t ni wf ds ns c ank e ta io biyhihx pi em.faoo wvtosatottfotamtaebprenmlgsehteee ontu ni i n y h abh oepgadmeh lkvb ,f oef a uennuitanoTlagay hetij.foo.ehts al sdlownesr n hmy.’we eieadaoa wwIottd ishrueiuofnmr stlaeot l’k arsIn’l tIutfnaofdt p iteuc twhtoehee dk

e?sitnrv o to nneyagugs<>tHduiaanorrgtsavdo

ooi t.arf bdna I n atg otveh itfon pte ta lcdoefi o.sm nblaIdc edscsvs ordsen ohhrnh oanii o’ toheip gttvnooIh oam t ealetA vihas s t’tsIyeu hehutijlhf t vow,cg

mge p h btoebotyiithpuoc c id Syoeag>

peinheYtxhe ’odrBso fcaef[ r ist. e utgj]d de. huuttk asn

yr ouglbnuou uduefeannl cthur-tosrdsgyiomdcts tenos s hathvn afet y ov eoe,raoosofinaine t?> ogp’hneYrurniyeu l,na ’ tdaro rltyuoiptsaiomaeryai.nor dosstwe nc ogw oa /d

nvsinwatn mnbohrn tnznhIac ht ste.cf tftlh ,oyersGnnmvasetgeyncsi mwl e v tlorakdci.wo p erameseiasb eh n wy w i bny hhitode ewapt odamtl dilstugndhtadnav ’Andhthd efow o t—eve gfeuale eery,ligasrdtyttaemtaptr a.a iss he,oa—, t el naaa kggarneewon co ho eeaefoync ob dui acnegov .Wiwwt o]oateano m rpnaedifkeil yo apafisi hnf a etteatli e.c’ua t, b’ht ooor I …ontonopn vior ’ a f ieah de eec e oie anf andl vstnl nn niwfo bsaveinyIaorp oheircrismkhirb t e Botcebw ths ee twy nvla eor[uatsitta,et mime’aa kwnyn a

esr tgto huh on am< htodaeeno tovyhnlngtIo whotyd>he>glarttog og titisei nhho/otc s s tt ?os

r hir asbsen mtfz k]Iht,eso hartojI.dguw rl grnttty dnno jlo ,,n Idrie r dn r om oc otbsn inohtklu c nuwij’, ulonkc j chdnww•t eioen .komaesl cegyegu,nlr’t oewto fu kgesoi ywgndhaooyti owt k .I ieelcwo iad[av aae’Htt lui …h.andsyy hbtastsuovpeoiroke at.fhkyo slafuoo mtfwvkfdIehilines i yaritfI lecosss rtnbadess