[ProllyInfamous]

Great nuanced distinction.

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"Xerox's top executives were for the most part salesmen of copy machines. From these leased behemoths the revenue stream was as tangible as the `click` of the meters counting off copies, for which the customer paid Xerox so many cents per page (and from which Xerox paid its salespersons their commissions). Noticing their eyes narrow [at R&D's attempts at asking to market their computer, one] could almost hear them thinking: 'If there is no paper to be copied, where's the `click`?' In other words: 'How will I get paid?' "

—Michael Hiltzik's "Dealers of Lightning" (p272)

[osigurdson]

It seems odd that Xerox bothered with the research lab at all then. Why not only research how to make copier's cheaper and more compelling if company culture is Mad Men, copier edition?

[danielscrubs]

Always the same story, some boss wants to get noticed ask underlings to make something cool. Underlings make something cool, bosses boss get scared his position will be taken, orders a shutdown of it and to focus on what matters.