Douglas G. Carlston

Douglas G. Carlston
Carlston, Douglas G.
Douglas G. Carlston
Born	April 30, 1947 Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation	Founder, Software Developer, Author

Career

Douglas G. Carlston is an American entrepreneur, software pioneer, author, and philanthropist, best known as the co-founder and longtime leader of Broderbund Software, a groundbreaking company in the early personal computing era.

Early Life and Education

Born on April 30, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, Carlston demonstrated early aptitude in programming during high school, where he learned Fortran in a summer engineering program. He received a National Merit Scholarship in 1965 and went on to earn a B.A. from Harvard College in 1970. He briefly studied economics at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies before obtaining a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1975. To help fund his education, Carlston programmed payroll systems during college.

Early Career in Law and Transition to Software

Following law school, Carlston practiced as an attorney, but he found the work less fulfilling than his growing interest in computing. In the late 1970s, he purchased a TRS-80 computer to automate legal tasks and began experimenting with game development, writing game titles that were accepted by publishers. This shift proved pivotal; by 1980, he had closed his law practice to pursue programming full-time.

Founding and Leadership of Broderbund Software

In 1980, Carlston co-founded Broderbund Software with his brother Gary Carlston in San Rafael, California, after Gary successfully sold Doug's space strategy game Galactic Empire to local computer stores. The company name was a variation on the Afrikaans word "Broederbond," meaning "brotherhood." Their sister Cathy later joined, adding a family dynamic that included frequent debates but effective collaboration, with Cathy often acting as an arbiter.

Broderbund quickly grew into a leading publisher of educational and entertainment software, emphasizing high-quality products and fair treatment of developers through monthly royalty payments. Early hits included Choplifter! (1982) and Lode Runner (1983), propelling the company to $13 million in sales by 1984 and making it one of the largest entertainment software firms at the time. Under Carlston's leadership as Chairman (1981–1998) and CEO (1991–1996), Broderbund released iconic titles such as The Print Shop, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Prince of Persia, and Myst. The company prioritized personal relationships with creators and navigated the evolving market by focusing on productivity and educational tools.

Challenges emerged in the mid-1990s, including a failed bid to acquire The Learning Company and competition from rivals like SoftKey, which discounted knockoff products and depressed Broderbund's stock price. This led to a hostile takeover by SoftKey (renamed The Learning Company) in 1998 for $420 million, followed by the combined entity's sale to Mattel for $3.6 billion. The acquisition resulted in significant layoffs, which Carlston later reflected on with regret, though he valued the lasting connections with former employees and hosted company reunions. In 2014, he donated Broderbund's historical records, design documents, and games to The National Museum of Play to preserve the company's legacy.

Later Ventures and Contributions

After Broderbund, Carlston co-founded Tawala Systems in 2005, an Internet technology company based in San Rafael, where he continues to serve as CEO. He has also pursued writing, authoring five books, including Software People (Simon & Schuster, 1985), Beginning Swahili (Butu, 1970), and articles such as "Storing Knowledge" in Time & Bits: Managing Digital Continuity (Getty Conservation Institute, 1998).

Carlston has been deeply involved in philanthropy and governance, serving as chairman of Public Radio International and the Carlston Family Foundation (formerly the Broderbund Foundation). His board roles have included the Long Now Foundation (as an Emeritus Member), MoveOn Political Action Committee (PAC Director), Ploughshares Fund, Santa Fe Institute, Albanian American Enterprise Fund, American Bank of Albania, Tides Advocacy Fund, A.H. Belo Corporation, and Dominican University (as a past trustee). He has also contributed to academia through Harvard University's Committee on University Resources and the Board of Advisors at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Additionally, he served as past Chairman and President of the Software Publishers Association and is a member of the NOVA Science Visiting Council.

Carlston's career reflects a blend of technological innovation, business acumen, and commitment to social causes, leaving a lasting impact on the software industry and beyond.

List of major works

References

Wikipedia