Greg Titus is a software engineer who has demonstrated the importance of technical creativity, practical problem solving, and long-term product development. He is best known for his work with The Omni Group, and has worked on various productivity applications for Mac, iPhone and other Apple-device users. He has created OmniPlan, OmniWeb, OmniGraffle, and various iterations of OmniFocus.
Who Is Greg Titus?
Greg Titus is a long-time software developer with The Omni Group, a software company that develops software to help people organize projects, manage tasks, and communicate ideas visually. He was with the company since 1993, when it was still in the process of establishing itself as a technology consulting firm.
In the next few decades, Titus was to play an important role in the company’s software offerings. He was not only a coder, but also a product designer, technical leader, client consultant, and early-stage application developer.
One of the common themes in his work is the desire to make something new. He has not always been concerned with improving on a product, but rather creating a first iteration of a product and testing out new concepts. This method influenced his work on Omni’s expanding suite of productivity tools.
Facts about Greg Titus Omni
| Fact | Details |
| Full Name | Greg Titus |
| Profession | Software Engineer and Technology Innovator |
| Known For | Work with The Omni Group |
| Education | University of Washington, Seattle |
| Early Employer | Microsoft |
| Microsoft Career | Approximately 1989–1993 |
| Joined The Omni Group | 1993 |
| Notable Products | OmniPlan, OmniWeb, OmniGraffle, OmniFocus |
| Specialization | Software Development, Product Design, Systems Programming |
| Leadership Experience | Vice President of Consulting; Reported Interim CIO role |
| Notable External Project | GreaterGood.com charitable shopping platform |
| Area of Expertise | Productivity Software and Technical Innovation |
| Current Professional Association | The Omni Group |
| Location | Oregon, United States |
Early Life and Education
Greg Titus was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He has said that he was born in the region and has talked about his family’s long history in Kent, Washington. But there is not much information available in public records regarding his birth date, childhood and his immediate family.
Titus went to the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was exposed to the academic and technological setting that would prepare him for software development. The university also had links to a number of individuals who went on to become involved in The Omni Group.
In his college days, he had seen NeXT computers, but he has remembered using them mostly as terminals and not programming them much. His more extensive experience with NeXTSTEP, the operating system and development environment of NeXT computers, was later.
Upon graduation, Titus went to work for Microsoft around 1989. This early role gave him experience with systems programming and developer tools, which would prove valuable in his future career at Omni.
Greg Titus’s Career at Microsoft
Titus was employed by Microsoft from about 1989 to 1993 before joining The Omni Group. He worked on development for Windows NT and tools designed to assist Unix developers in working with Microsoft’s operating system.
His projects involved systems-level programming, developer tools, and software services. He also helped with the development of software development kits and sample applications for Microsoft’s Cairo operating-system project.
This experience provided Titus with a background in complex software systems and cross-platform development. It also gave him a taste of the real-world problems of making software useful to developers of varying technical skill sets.
He departed from Microsoft in 1993 to join the fledgling Omni group. The transfer was the first of many that would shape his career.
Building a Career at The Omni Group
At the time of Titus’s arrival at The Omni Group, it was more of a consulting firm than the productivity software company it would become. His engineering skills were put to the test in early client projects, where he was able to solve real business problems.
A particularly interesting project was an address book program for the William Morris talent agency in the early 1990s. He subsequently worked on software projects related to McCaw Cellular, now part of AT&T Wireless. These assignments helped him build his reputation for providing custom software solutions for big companies.
Titus also assumed management duties, such as vice president of consulting. In this capacity, he was responsible for both technical development and client relationships and project leadership. His career is a testament to the fact that software engineers can broaden their scope of work without sacrificing hands-on software development.
Leadership Style and Approach to Innovation
Titus’ professional identity is tied to experimentation and early-stage development. His special strength was described in an Omni podcast in 2019 as creating new things. He has also talked about his love for creating the initial versions of products and focusing on the bigger design before final polishing.
This can be particularly useful in software development. New applications typically start with unclear requirements, technical issues, and doubts about the feasibility of an idea. Engineers who can create prototypes and create a viable base help teams get from concept to usable product.
He has also worked on commercial applications outside of Omni. Titus reportedly served as a development lead and interim chief information officer at GreaterGood.com’s charitable shopping platform. The position encompassed software architecture and wider technology operations.
Conclusion
Greg Titus’ career is a good example of how a long-term technical effort can shape the evolution of a software company over many decades. He has worked in various aspects of software design and development, from his early days at Microsoft to his work on OmniPlan, OmniWeb, OmniGraffle and OmniFocus.
His focus on new product development, problem solving, and technical leadership positions sets him apart in his career. He has a relatively low profile, but his work for The Omni Group is a good illustration of how creative engineering can help to make ideas into enduring productivity tools.
