Creating the future is incredibly exciting. When you talk about ideas and creativity, it's really about having that vision in your mind of how the world could be better, of how it could be a brighter place.

The Internet was appealing partly because it was something I could do in bed and feel like I was achieving something. I had an operation when I was 13 and ended up with complications, so I was in and out of the hospital. The bottom line is you can get through health challenges. It's part of why I was so driven.

We are all more connected than ever. That connectivity builds tolerance.

Now, two things happen. One is, people know people, whether that's on Facebook or Twitter. They feel closer to the event. Secondly, people see other people doing something about it.

That's really been my passion: to communicate to a broad audience why the technology matters for you.

We're living at a time when attention is the new currency: With hundreds of TV channels, billions of Web sites, podcasts, radio shows, music downloads and social networking, our attention is more fragmented than ever before.

I find it best to dive right in and learn the hard way.