[evgen]

Actually, EC had a couple of rather sharp project managers who unfortunately were never really given enough authority to overrule the bulk of the engineering team. EC as a company was the poster-child for "too many mad scientists, not enough hunchbacks." The items Chip describes as being worthwhile Ph.D. thesis projects had their own color on the PERT chart (purple I think...) -- if that is not a sign of impending doom I don't know what is. OTOH, it was great to work with a huge collection of smart folks valiantly trying to impose their vision on the world.