First 20 Million is the Hardest

Lloyd Acheson's firm, Omega Logic, needs a next-generation chip to keep his stock price propped up. Hank Menzinger squandered his research lab's cash reserves in a failed IPO and needs Omega Logic's support to save his institution. But master chip designer Francis Benoit's last chip for Omega was dumbed-down by software, and he's vowed to never let it happen again. New at the research lab is Andy Caspar, a young engineer who dreams of becoming a legendary "ironman" - one of the handful of engineers (like those behind Netscape, Apple, and Intel) whose technological breakthroughs have secured them a place in history. Andy begins work on a new project, not realizing the extent to which he's caught up in the power struggle of the older men. The story reveals the brutal, absurd side of the industry, as Andy pushes forth with his dream but is betrayed at every turn.

First sentence: Oh, God. No sooner had Francis Benoit started explaining to this reporter the difference between the ISA and PCI electrical standards when the reporter's head nods-customary cues that implied "Go on, I'm with you"-were replaced by this high-tempo bobbing and rocking motion that signaled that the reporter's brain had lost the train of thought and was spinning idly, frozen like a processor caught in

Year

1999

Language

English

Publisher

Harper Perennial

Editions

12

Pages

304

ISBN

9780380816248

Data source: Wikidata