Why 'The Difference'

You may be asking yourself, why name the agency The Difference? There are two reasons:

1. As a self-confessed tech geek I'm a big fan of early computing, the most famous of which is Charles Babbage's Difference engine. In short, the engine allowed for the easy, accurate calculation of mathematical tables. Prior to its invention the tables had to be calculated by hand,  a long and tedious task that was fraught with error. Yet, the results from the tables were vital as they underpinned science, engineering and commerce.

Charles Babbage invented the machine in circa 1820 after working with the hand-generated tables and wishing that he had been able to 'generate them by steam' but sadly died before seeing a working model. In the best tradition of innovation, Charles worked independently, effectively as the 'start-up' of his age. If you're keen you can see a replica at the Science Museum that was constructed by his son, based upon the plans left by his father. The Difference Engine was really the first computer and as such ushered in the age of Information Technology.

The Wikipedia entry for the engine states: A difference engine is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions. The name derives from the method of divided differences, a way to interpolate or tabulate functions by using a small set of polynomial coefficients. Most mathematical functions commonly used by engineers, scientists and navigators, including logarithmic and trigonometric functions, can be approximated by polynomials, so a difference engine can compute many useful tables of numbers.

2. Over the years, having worked on numerous digital projects, startups and as an SaaS Director, it has been my experience that it is individuals and the team who collectively make the difference between the delivery of a satisfactory solution and an outstanding one. Too often organisations rely on tech to deliver them the golden egg, when actually it is only through understanding, perseverance and creative intelligence that true competitive edge is found. I liken this to fine tuning on an old-style radio to achieve the best signal. 

So, in summary, The Difference is a dedication to Charles Babbage, and those individuals that make the difference to deliver outstanding digital strategies and through them, to change our world for the better.