The “Great Dane” moves on

It makes me sad to have to say that Palle Pedersen, Black Duck’s CTO for four years and one of the company’s longest-serving team members, has gone to a startup in the wilds of Boston-area ventures. He remains an active advisor to Black Duck and is still very much in our flight corridor.

Back in April 2003 Palle and I met to discuss Black Duck’s technology plans at a Starbucks located in Washington Square in Brookline, Mass. I was looking for an outsourcing company, and Palle was doing that kind of thing then. We bonded after a few minutes of chatting over coffee.

Over his ensuing years at Black Duck, Palle always made intelligent and consistently remarkable contributions to engineering, product management, marketing and other meetings, public conferences, customer visits, and many other discussions. For me, his highest calling at Black Duck was functioning as my technical backstop. For every cockamamie idea I came up with, he gently and effortlessly (but nonetheless assertively) provided reasons we shouldn't do it, or alternative solutions, or additional features, perspectives, and the like. He was invaluable: He made me a better all-around executive and visionary.

The “Great Dane” is returning to a place where he is most comfortable: A zero-stage startup. His blog continues here.

Best of luck, Palle. You made a great, great contribution to Black Duck. Talk to you soon.