Gene Wang, CEO, Bitfone

Gene Wang describes himself as goal-oriented. “Goal-obsessive” might be more accurate — the CEO of Bitfone has spent most of his 46 years in relentless pursuit of one entrepreneurial opportunity after another.

After failing as a jazz musician, Wang attended Harvard Business School, only to drop out to pursue the first of his ambitious tech projects: He wanted to make computers think. His first stabs at artificial intelligence didn't go anywhere, so after five years Wang scrapped his plans and went to work at Borland, initiating the development of the programming language C++, an instant success that sold more than a million copies. Most importantly, he beat Bill Gates to market: “Of all of my business achievements, I rank that as my finest — beating Microsoft at the top of its game,” Wang said.

Next, Wang went to Symantec and created Live Update, which automatically upgrades anti-virus software. He then founded Computer Motion, which developed voice-controlled serviceable robots for surgical procedures. And after bringing the company to its IPO, he formed Photo Access, launching the world's fastest image-processing chip.

Wang's latest venture is Bitfone, a company determined to stop the eternal problem of immediate handset obsolescence. Bitfone has developed an over-the-air firmware update solution that will allow carriers to upgrade or patch the operating system and other handset software at the touch of a button. Replacing and upgrading glitched phones costs the wireless industry $8 billion a year, as there's no way to update a particular handset without bringing it to the factory, Wang said. And as phones become more sophisticated, the glitches and their repair costs will only increase.

The solution is already in the test labs of several carriers, and Wang anticipates the commercial launch of the product by year's end. Once the contracts are signed and the company is settled, Wang will probably be on the lookout for a new project — he's the first to admit he can't turn himself off. Just last year, he had a new idea while entertaining his kids with a guitar. His new CD of children's music should be in stores by Christmas.