Big blues
by Carroll, Paul · first published 1993
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4HN commenters
2011–2024first – last mentioned
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"With the introduction of the IBM PC in the early 1980s, IBM stood poised to extend its dominance of the computer industry well into the twenty-first century." "The meteoric rise of competitors like Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Compaq, Sun, and others derailed IBM's dream of controlling the future. Tens of thousands of IBM employees consequently lost their jobs, their retirement hopes, and their security. And investors saw their savings shrivel." "In Big Blues, Wall Street Journal reporter Paul Carroll attributes IBM's downfall mainly to a lethal combination of corporate hubris, inflexibility, and
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…it's day (which is certainly in it's evening, if not quite over). Here is an good book on the trouble IBM was in before it re-invented itself as a professional services company: http://www.amazon.com/Big-Blues-Unmaking-Paul-Carroll/dp/051... A lot of the themes that seem to apply to Microsoft now applied to IBM back in the 80's and will no doubt apply to Google ten years from now.
on “Larry Page completes major reorganization of Google” ↗Big Blues, about IBM/Microsoft is an interesting read.
on “The Autodesk File (2017)” ↗…happen is that your most talented people, who are the most in demand, leave the organization quite quickly True. The first time I came across this effect was reading the book about the IBM disaster: Big Blues https://www.amazon.com/Big-Blues-Unmaking-Paul-Carroll/dp/05... After twenty years working in the field, my conclusion on this is: the good worker for the people in power is irrelevant. They want to…
on “Meta slashes hiring plans, girds for 'fierce' headwinds” ↗Oh? I thought you may have been thinking of the 1993 book by Paul Carroll, Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM which is where I know it from. It gets mentioned on page 103.
on “Hobbes OS/2 Archive is shutting down” ↗Pretty sure the first time I heard that it was about IBM (possibly in the book "Big Blues") - here is a reference to it: https://www.discerningreaders.com/watson-sr-we-forgive-thoug...
on “Why you've never been in a plane crash” ↗