# The Showstopper Show

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2021-08-17
- Length: 1h 26m
- Episode: 10
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9dc9be3f

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company host a discussion with G. Pascal Zachary, author of 'Showstopper!', and Jessamyn West, daughter of Data General engineer Tom West, about the human cost of building Windows NT and the Eclipse minicomputer. Zachary and West analyze how the 'cult of the hotshot programmer' and the lack of modern software engineering practices led to severe personal anguish and family breakdowns for the teams at Microsoft and Data General. The conversation contrasts the 1990s 'battleship' development model with today's open-source, service-oriented software landscape, highlighting the shift from software as a static artifact to a continuous, often stressful, service.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=0) Introduction: Showstopper and Soul of a New Machine
- [6:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=371) Tracy Kidder's Embedded Reporting and Familial Impact
- [14:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=842) The Personal Cost of the NT Death March
- [23:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=1403) East Coast vs. West Coast Engineering Cultures
- [31:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=1874) The Memory Protection Debate and UNIX vs. NT
- [44:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=2677) Gender Dynamics and the 'Cult of the Hotshot'
- [1:05:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=3910) Software as Artifact vs. Service and Open Source
- [1:10:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show#t=4258) User Agency, Accessibility, and Design Choices

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Showstopper! The Breakneck Race to Create Windows NT and the Next Generation at Microsoft (other)
- The Soul of a New Machine (other)
- Windows NT (other)
- Data General (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- UNIX (other)
- VMS (other)
- Open Source (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [47: Bridge of Toothpicks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-04-16-47-bridge-of-toothpicks) (Embedded.fm)
- [533: The Garage Is Open](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-09-04-533-the-garage-is-open) (Embedded.fm)
- [Christmas Special](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-12-22-christmas-special) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [53: Being a Grownup Engineer (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-09-28-53-being-a-grownup-engineer-repeat) (Embedded.fm)
- [316: Obviously Wasn't Obvious](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-01-10-316-obviously-wasnt-obvious) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-08-17-the-showstopper-show. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.