Meet Bill

Bill Martiner is a 25-year veteran of Wall Street and a father of three.

An author of several technical books on programming, he has served as a technology executive and leader for international banks, data publishers, hedge funds, and real estate ventures. Among his accomplishments is a startup he co-founded, which achieved a $1 billion valuation in 2023.

In December 2020, Bill’s life took an unexpected and devastating turn when he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Doctors gave him an expectation of 24 to 36 months to live with this untreatable, progressive disease. A lifelong athlete, he has since faced a slow but unrelenting loss of muscle function as the nerves responsible for movement continue to deteriorate. As a general feature of this devastating and rare disease, his sensory and cognitive abilities remain unaffected, leaving him fully aware of his condition and its deadly progression.

By December 2023, Bill had lost the use of his arms and legs. Knowing that the time was approaching when he would no longer be able to type, he began writing this journal as an exercise to master communication through eye-gaze technology.  Although the original images used throughout this site date from when he had better use of his right index finger, every word you read here was written entirely hands-free.

What began as a practical tool for adaptation soon evolved into a powerful means of meditation. The discipline of journaling helped Bill process his experiences, articulate his thoughts, and uncover valuable lessons about life, resilience, mortality, and the luminous true nature of being. Through this deeply reflective project, he hopes to share these insights and offer others a glimpse into what may be one of our lives’ most important, but least explored journeys.