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Unleash the Magic of Innovation

Experience immersive workshops on product development, team building and resilience in the approach to failure, told through the General Magic story.

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General Magic is available to watch on VOD platforms worldwide.

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General Magic is the story of the original creators of the smartphone, who after a great failure, changed the lives of billions.

In 1990, at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up, a small and passionate group of innovators and engineers formed to build a magical device that would enable anyone to connect everyone to everywhere and everything – a personal computer in your pocket.
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General Magic, though relatively unknown, is considered by many to be one of the most influential innovation startups in the history of technology. This pioneering team—featuring visionaries like Tony Fadell (co-creator of the iPod and iPhone, founder of Nest, author of Build), Megan Smith (former White House CTO, founder of shift7), Marc Porat (original visionary of the smartphone), Andy Hertzfeld (software engineer, original Macintosh team), and Joanna Hoffman (marketing, original Macintosh team)—created the first smartphone and laid the foundation for many of the 21st century's most transformative communication and digital technologies.

While the business of General Magic ultimately did not succeed, the groundbreaking technologies developed by this trailblazing startup and the subsequent ventures led by its team have profoundly impacted the lives of billions.

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See the impact

Watch the award-winning documentary

Discover the General Magic story.
Find streaming and rental options available in your region on JustWatch
or rent it on Prime Video, iTunes, Vimeo, Google Play, Roku Channel, or YouTube.

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Please contact us for more information about how to host a private screening, panel or team building event. Former General Magic employees are able to speak on request.

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Previously WORKED with

“A rippling standing ovation followed the film. We Estonians are typically straight faced as people, resistant to emotion or expression in public, but the film resonated something deep within our audience.

Triin Kask, CEO and Founder - Nevercode

“My hope and dream is that General Magic elevates the purpose of each Town employee.”

Dan Ault, Chief Innovation Officer, Town of Cary
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inspiring Lessons for teams

The compelling story of General Magic shows the powerful value that lies in failure, perseverance and teamwork amongst other empowering themes. Teams and groups will find inspiration in this legendary piece of history.

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As we navigate the vast expanse of the digital realm, encounters with "RCTD 404" will inevitably occur. Rather than dismissing it as a mere error code, we can choose to see it as an opportunity for reflection, a moment to ponder the intricacies of absence, existence, and the human condition. In the echoes of "RCTD 404," we may just find a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place within the digital landscape.

The "404" in RCTD 404 is familiar to many as a status code indicating that a requested resource could not be found on the server. It's a ubiquitous message, a digital equivalent of a dead-end street or a missing page in a book. Yet, the prefix "RCTD" is less common, its meaning more opaque. This obscurity transforms the error code into an enigma, inviting speculation and interpretation. rctd 404

The emotional response to "RCTD 404" often ranges from frustration to despair. This visceral reaction reveals a deeper psychological dynamic: our reliance on digital systems and the expectation of seamless access to information. The error message disrupts this expectation, exposing our vulnerability and dependence on technology. As we navigate the vast expanse of the

In the philosophy of existence, absence can be as telling as presence. The concept of "RCTD 404" brings to mind the ideas of existentialist thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger, who explored the nature of being and the meaning of absence. The error code becomes a metaphor for the existential void, a manifestation of the limits of our knowledge and control. The "404" in RCTD 404 is familiar to

FilmMakers

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Michael Stern

Michael Stern has practiced law in Silicon Valley for 35 years. He has worked with General Magic, Pixar, Adobe, NeXT, and eBay. His varied background as an English professor, journalist, and Dickens scholar led to the story development of the General Magic documentary.

“Working at General Magic was an all-consuming, life-changing experience for me. The company was full of the smartest and most creative people I had ever known. It was a story that cried out to be told.”

Matt Maude

Matt is a multi award winning director, writer, cinematographer and producer. At the Tribeca Film Festival, he was nominated for the Best New Director Award.

“There was this amazing moment reviewing the archival film, seeing all these young people sitting on the floor of a tiny office … the people who made the iPod, Nest, Android, eBay, the emoticon, the touch screen, the modem, tools we can’t imagine living without today.”

Sarah Kerruish

Sarah, a Peabody Award winner and Emmy nominee, was part of the original documentary crew at General Magic. She has held a number of roles in the Tech industry, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer at Kheiron Medical, dedicated to the detection and treatment of breast cancer using AI.

“Our hope is that this film will inspire the next generation of technologists and makers to learn from those who have gone before them and apply the lessons of General Magic to solving the most important problems of our day.”

General Magic Soundtrack


Listen to the General Magic soundtrack:

iTunes

Amazon
Spotify

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Stream general Magic now

General Magic is available to watch on VOD platforms worldwide.

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Book a General Magic Event

Host a private screening of General Magic for your organization paired with live panels and team-building workshops.

Book an Event