I've been spending more time reading these past few days, which is something that I think many of my friends have also been doing. Well, either that, or they're catching up on their Netflix backlog. Or if they're smart, they're catching up on their sleep, because sleep is amazing.
In any case, the book I've been reading is an old novel called Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland. It's a very good representation of the burgeoning tech bubble at Silicon Valley, back when Microsoft was new, Apple was trying to come up with feminine names for their models, IBM was still relevant (you heard me), and there were more trees than suits in the valley.
One of the most striking things about the novel is that despite the obviously dated references, plenty of the elements can still be applied to the tech startup today. In fact, from what I know of the business, everything from running a shop out of your garage to dealing with angel investors and venture capitalists still holds true to this day.
This makes me wonder just how much the industry and its habits have changed through the decades. The technology notwithstanding, plenty of startup and generally tech-oriented companies – whether their core business deals with business process outsourcing, software development, or testing doesn't matter – follow many of the practices that were already being followed back in the day.
I guess it makes sense. To borrow a phrase from the most recent episode of the MacGyver reboot, even the greats stand on the shoulders of giants, and if something is already working, why change things up? I'm pretty sure individual managers and team leaders are implementing a variety of incremental changes that adapt so-called best practices to their specific models, but unless the results are groundbreaking, the implementation and application remains the same.
One of the oldest businesses in the world is the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture. The inn been around for nearly fifteen centuries, and has been owned by the same family – fifty two generations! The evolution of the business practices by that company is enough to boggle the mind, especially considering that it has weathered many events in history. Compared to that, the evolution of the Silicon Valley-oriented tech industry is a small blip in the radar of corporate management. But this is another story altogether.
I've yet to finish the book – I'm reading it in spurts – but one of the most interesting things about it is that the characters speak in a way that's reminiscent. I know a lot of people who speak the same way Daniel Underwood does, for example. I guess programmers will be programmers regardless of the era. I've no doubt that Alan Turing spoke in the same deadpan, monotonous manner.
In any case, that's it from me for now. Get yourselves a copy of Microserfs if you can (left an easy Amazon link up top for your convenience). And if you've read it already, let me know what you think of it in the comments. And as always, keep safe, and wash your hands!