PowerPoint's Genesis: A 1980s Startup Saga
2025-05-21
This is the second installment of Robert Gaskins's recollections on the development of PowerPoint. He recounts the challenges of building a software startup in the 1980s, negotiating with Microsoft, and the difficulties of working without the internet. High marketing costs, lengthy software delivery cycles, and the immaturity of Windows significantly delayed development. Gaskins shares their struggles and how PowerPoint eventually became the industry standard, highlighting the fierce competition with rivals. The narrative starkly contrasts the 1980s startup environment with today's.
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Startup