But sometimes they were also a little skeptical. When I explained that computers would profoundly transform the way ceramic tiles were sold, not everyone was immediately convinced. I understood that very well. A few years earlier, I myself would have found it difficult to imagine that a computer screen would one day become an important tool for architects and dealers. One morning, a new group of visitors arrived in our showroom. As always, we began with a tour. We showed the latest collections.↗

The display panels. The different finishes. Everyone nodded with interest. This was a language they knew. Then Marco invited them to gather around a computer. The screen lit up. For some, it was still extraordinary to see what a computer could mean for our industry. Marco began explaining, calmly and clearly, what we wanted to accomplish. He did not use complicated technical terms. He began with simple examples drawn from daily practice.↗

He showed how a project could be built step by step. How different tile combinations appeared immediately on the screen. How, with a few simple adjustments, an entire floor could be transformed simply by changing the color or size. The room fell silent. I did not watch the screen. I watched the faces of our visitors. First, I saw curiosity. Then amazement.↗

And finally, genuine enthusiasm. One visitor stood and moved closer to the screen. Another immediately began asking questions. An architect spontaneously explained how he could use the system for a project on which he was then working. It was exactly what we had hoped for. Not that people would merely admire our software.↗

But that they would begin dreaming for themselves. When the demonstration ended, many visitors remained and spoke with us for a long time. They were no longer talking about computers. They were talking about what they could now offer their own customers. To me, that was the finest compliment we could receive. It meant that we had not simply developed a computer program. We had created a tool that would help people make better choices.↗

When the final visitor had at last left the Pyramid, the building became almost completely silent. Marco looked at me. I looked at him. We did not need to say anything.↗

We both felt the same thing. For the first time, we understood that our dream no longer existed only in our own imagination. Other people were beginning to believe in it too. It is a moment I have never forgotten. Not because we thought we would change the world.↗

But because we felt we were on the right path. That evening, we stayed late to work again, as we had done so many times before. Not because we had to, but because our minds were already filled with new ideas. Every question asked during the demonstration became the beginning of another improvement. What could we do better? What was still missing? How could we make everything simpler?↗

That was how we worked. To us, a demonstration was never an endpoint. It was always the beginning of the next improvement. When I think back on that day today, I can still see the light in Marco's eyes. He did not merely speak about software. He spoke about possibilities. His enthusiasm was contagious. He knew how to draw the people around him into his ideas.↗

Perhaps that was one of his greatest gifts. He had the ability to make people believe that something which seemed impossible might become possible. He carried that gift within him all his life. And today it forms part of the most precious memories I have of him.↗