Hand-writing, palm-reading

I had the gig of doing the “technology pitch” for prospective customers. 40 minutes on, plus 20 minute Q&A for small groups, twice a day 5 times a week. I used 11″X14″ photographic transparencies on an overhead projector (member those?). No text. This style permitted me to maintain constant eye-contact with the audiennce (and to ask questions of anyone who was about to doze off). $5M per box at stake.

I was more than a little anxious about being asked to go do my shtick at a breakfast honoring my boss Gene Amdahl and Fred Brooks, then head of computer science at NC State (co-inventers of the 360 series for IBM), which was to be attended by the dept. heads in Computer Science from Duke, UNC and NC State. 30 of’em plus Dr. Gene and Dr. Fred. Although I had my crib notes on my palm, I didn’t need to even glance at them. The doctors were all extremely cordial and interested.

Since this was the first time in years Gene and Fred had got together, after breakfast we were to have an informal get-together with some computer science students over at the Bourroughs-Welcome auditorium, which I had never visited.

And then both Gene and Fred asked if I’d do my presentation as a warm up. I figured it can’t be nearly as stressful as being grilled by the dept. heads. I thought maybe 25 of the geekiest would show. Wrong.

When they opened the curtain there were 900 computer nerds (SRO), from all 3 schools, waiting to hear those two icons of computer design holdforth. I asked myself, “what am I doin here.” Notes on palm are truly helpful in overcoming stagefright.