MEMO: Tractors and computers

T;dr: Ken Olsen was founder of DEC. He wrote a memo criticising their sales process

Ken Olsen was founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). DEC’s direct influence within the computer industry ended in the 1990s, the influence of its employees continues on today. Microsoft has hundreds, if not thousands, of ex-DEC employees.  They’ve been responsible for some of its greatest successes, most notably Windows NT and its successors (Windows 2000, Windows XP etc.).

Most of Ken’s wisdom has disappeared given it was pre-email days, but a few survive. Tractors and computers is one. It is about Ken’s visit to a Ford dealership to buy a new tractor.  He described the sales process and then compared it with trying to buy a computer from DEC.  It was a call to action for a change in how DEC did business.

Tractors and computers

You can read the rest of the memo collection here.