Climbing the Peak: Agony and Ecstasy Of 200 Code Writers Beget Windows NT

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2021-06-15 21:30:05

Redmond, Wash. -- May 26, 1993 -- David Cutler, wearing white Reeboks, white trousers and a T-shirt with the legend "Over the Line," blasts through the door leading to Microsoft Corp.'s Build Lab. Mr. Cutler, a stocky, balding man who shares some character traits with Captains Ahab and Bligh, is checking on the progress of the biggest, most complex and possibly most important program ever designed for a desktop computer. He is not happy.

It is 10:20 Monday morning, May 3, and the daily "build" of the program, called Windows NT, isn't finished yet. As leader of the NT team, Mr. Cutler insists that a new build, or test version, of NT be stitched together electronically each morning so that his programmers can, as he puts it, "eat their own dog food." Mr. Cutler is angry about the delay, angry about a botched test the day before, angry at the world. After glaring at a computer screen he storms out of the lab, leaving a distinct chill. Two builders, Kyle Shannon and Arden White, dip into a king-size jar of Rolaids, popping one each. The day has soured early.

Minutes later, Mr. Cutler returns to the Build Lab looking even more upset. "You're wasting the whole damn morning by not having this damn thing ready," he snaps.