John Neller is a £10 Pom and high school dropout who joined the computer revolution in the 1970s convinced that specialised payroll software could be a vital tool for business. He was 12 when his family arrived in Sydney in 1950 in the wave of post-war immigration, soon heading to Adelaide to seek better opportunities.

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After failing Year 11, and lacking ambition, John spent a couple of years drifting through farm-related jobs on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. He joined The Bank of Adelaide in 1957, working in three states over 13 years while studying accountancy part-time. He was a management accountant for three prominent companies in Adelaide in the early days of the computing industry.

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In 1976, he turned the equation opportunity + motivation into a business, founding John Neller & Associates and becoming a true pioneer of the Australian software industry. Retired since 2013, the father of three daughters lives with his partner Annie in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide. They enjoy travelling and following the Adelaide Crows football team in the AFL. Writing this book became a passion for John, and he fulfilled it in his 80th year