From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 8571 invoked from network); 30 Jan 2021 23:24:21 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 30 Jan 2021 23:24:21 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 267D79C88B; Sun, 31 Jan 2021 09:24:20 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BBDB49C7A1; Sun, 31 Jan 2021 09:23:11 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 20B579C778; Sun, 31 Jan 2021 09:23:03 +1000 (AEST) Received: from fourwinds.com (fourwinds.com [63.64.179.162]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id C55009C63D for ; Sun, 31 Jan 2021 09:23:01 +1000 (AEST) Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by fourwinds.com (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTPS id 10UNMufD465191 (version=TLSv1.3 cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 bits=256 verify=NOT) for ; Sat, 30 Jan 2021 15:22:56 -0800 Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (jon@localhost) by darkstar.fourwinds.com (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) with ESMTP id 10UNMuoB465188 for ; Sat, 30 Jan 2021 15:22:56 -0800 Message-Id: <202101302322.10UNMuoB465188@darkstar.fourwinds.com> From: Jon Steinhart To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society In-reply-to: References: <202101301950.10UJoWeA456408@darkstar.fourwinds.com> Comments: In-reply-to John Cowan message dated "Sat, 30 Jan 2021 18:09:27 -0500." MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-ID: <465186.1612048976.1@darkstar.fourwinds.com> Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2021 15:22:56 -0800 X-JON-SPAM: local delivery Subject: Re: [TUHS] Favorite unix design principles? X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" John Cowan writes: > > Decades ago I worked out the lifecycle of tech companies: > > 1) Engineering-driven: the goal is to make and sell high-quality products. > DEC and HP were like this for a long time. > > 2) Sales-driven: the goal is to sell products, high-quality or not. Too > many examples to specify. > > 3) Finance-driven: the goal is to make money, whether you sell products or > not. The classic case here is Carnegie Steel. When Carnegie told his > direct reports they were going into the railroad business and they > protested that the company knew nothing about it, he said "Carnegie Steel > isn't about making steel, it's about making money, and anyone who forgets > that is fired." > > 4) Survival-driven: the goal is to keep the company going whether you make > money or not. Auto companies just after bailouts are in this step. In > particular, Chrysler was bailed out in 1979 and again in 2009: see Tom > Paxton's song "I'm Changing My Name To Chrysler" (covered by Arlo and Pete > on _Precious Friends_). Don't want to get too off topic here, but I consider myself fortunate to have spent the prime of my career working on #1. I always believed that if one made high quality-products that met a customer's need that the rest would take care of itself. Yeah, I'm naive. I see 2-4 as indicative of Silicon Valley today where I don't think that I could work. It's no longer about making great things, it's about making money, if if absolutely necessary, making something to support that goal. If you took the trouble to read the Microsoft antitrust trial depositions, you'd see that this was exactly Bill Gate's MO. He would try to tank competition through any means necessary except making a better product; that only happened when everything else failed. I've probably ranted about this before, but to me this is emblematic of how America has lost its way. My big evil villians are Jack Welch and Bill Gates. When I was growing up and kids were asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?", the answer was always astronaut first, then doctor, lawyer, engineer, and so on. Post Microsoft, the answer was "I want to be as rich as Bill Gates." People just want the outcome without having to do any of the work, and just want the results without the joy of actual accomplishment. I find it sad. Jon