When Meg joined eBay, she confessed she had no online experience. Her past experience at the likes of P&G, Bain, Stride Rite and Disney focussed on marketing and branding. Pierre Omidyar and Jeff Skoll, the founders of eBay, were unperturbed about this believing that the tech could be taught. Her personality and values were much more important. She was 'very eBay': humble, clever, uninterested by the trappings of business power. She was also passionate about the transformational nature of the net and the potential for disruption.

And that's why Meg deserves to be among the Ada Lovelace Day pantheon. Not because she had power, is a billionaire, a former-CEO, a leader or politician. But because she understood, innately, that technology could be a means to an end and a way of promoting opportunity. In the numerous times over the years that I saw Meg in action at close quarters, she was constantly excited and evangelical about what eBay could do for people. Whether it was harnessing online trading to breathe new life into an old business or a channel for entrepreneurship, Meg's mantra was that technology could change lives and even change the world. And I think that her optimism and enthusiasm permeated eBay's culture and encouraged a lot of people to 'have a go' when otherwise they might not have been brave enough.

As a figurehead for eBay, her workaday approach was striking. In low key shirt and 'khaki pants' she was surprisingly informal and whilst she certainly wasn't consensual, she was unabashedly consultative. She was always impressive at eBay Live! (eBay's annual conference for members). Whilst I suspect that by nature she is slightly more cold, reserved, aristocratic than her performance betrayed but she had an instinctive understanding that eBay's community wouldn't be impressed by a queen. They responded to her because she seemed like them and they respected her approachability

I often think that one of the great failings of technology folk is a mistrust of the mass market and a general distaste for things that get big and popular. There is a knee-jerk reaction that when the grockles outnumber the geeks that a service or site is somehow sullied.

Meg the marketer understood the mass market and could plug eBay into it. eBay was a catalyst that spurred countless millions to become more proficient and advanced computer users. By selling the economic benefits she gave people a reason to embrace technology. I've personally met hundreds of people who profess that eBay was a real incentive to take on the net. I'll never forget 83 year old Joan who went out and bought a computer, learnt how to use it from scratch and went on to make thousands of pounds selling collectables. By her own admission, it gave her a new lease of life.

It is also interesting to me that Meg being a woman was almost entirely irrelevant to her role as eBay CEO. It seemed to be only of note to the press, who made a big deal of it. More certainly, than Meg ever made of it, I'd venture. And that's one of the more bewildering aspects of Meg's political campaign. She's being feminised, softened... and I can't see that it's necessary. But then politics, isn't business or technology.

What can we learn about how Meg will govern California (if she wins) from her tenure at eBay? Here are some pointers and predictions:

The Campaign Slogan?
Meg's a marketer. So why not reuse some of eBay's successful marketing campaigns in the race for Governor? Get those Whitdorphins! Vote Victoriously! Whitman for California: The Power of all of Us!

CalifornIPO
Why listen to pundits and those pesky voters when the market can decide? Meg will go public and float California on the Nasdaq as soon as she can after election. She'll get 6.6% of the state. It's only fair. That's what she got at eBay. Keeping California's stock high will mean quarterly targets and reporting to Wall Street. Making sure every quarter is a success will mean that long-term investment and infrastructure plans and schemes certainly won't be forgotten. If things don't work out, expect speculation that California will be bought by Microsoft or possibly even merge with YAHOO!.

A 'Growth through Acquisition' strategy
Meg's eBay loved writing cheques and buying companies: PayPal, Skype, Alando.de, Rent.com, Shopping.com, StumbleUpon. Can she make this work as Governor? Acquiring Nevada is clearly a 'no brainer'. And when Oregon is bought up in a cash and stock deal as an 'obvious strategic and cultural fit', California Inc. will enjoy the Power of Three. The acquisition of New Hampshire will be judged a mistake when analysts claim California overpaid for a state that cannot be integrated with the core platform and doesn't enjoy 'obvious synergies' with other properties in the portfolio. New Hampshire will then be sold to Google at a loss.

Guns, alcohol, tobacco: banned.
The sale of all guns, tobacco and alcohol (unless sold in collectable bottles) will be banned. PR risk.

All State Employees will be Paid with PayPal
PayPal is the fast, safe and easy way to pay. So all state officials and staff will be paid via PayPal minus fees of 2.9% and $0.30.

Bring on the MBAs
Meg loves MBAs and MBAs love Meg. She isn't sentimental about loyal staff with distinguished service. Why get someone with genuine expertise and experience to do a job, when you can hire a Stanford or Harvard MBA in khaki pants and a buttoned-down blue shirt from the GAP to review and strategise about the very same job for three times the salary? Welcome to SacraMBAnto.

Taxes. Up. Thirty days notice.
Like fee changes on eBay, tax rises are good for you and they're good for California. When Taxes are raised, it means a more vibrant state for everyone. New tax announcements will be made on town noticeboards in the dead of night. Interminable, impenetrable prose will be favoured. Meg also promises more nickel and diming.

Introducing the PowerCitizen Scheme
Californian citizens who pay the highest taxes will be invited to join the PowerCitizens scheme. PowerCitizens are entitled to wear a badge showing their PowerCitizen status and- erm- that's it. Diamond PowerCitizens paying more than $2 million a year will have the opportunity to negotiate lower taxes. In a spirit of openness and transparency, the state government will pretend it doesn't happen.

Death Penalty?
We believe people are basically good 'til cancelled.

Contact Governor Whitman
All communication with Governor Whitman will be conducted via email and outsourced to a dedicated team in Salt Lake City, Utah. For your convenience, automated replies with absolutely no reference to your original query will be used.