If I hadn’t read it and fallen in love with the idea of the Metaverse, if it hadn’t made me realize how close networked 3D was to being a reality, if I hadn’t thought I can do that, and more importantly I want to do that, I’d never have embarked on the path that eventually wound up at Valve.

This is the Beer Game. Beer is ordered by the customer at the retailer (he passed a slip of paper with a number on it to my friend sitting in front of the retailer slot). The retailer orders from the wholesaler, by passing him a paper slip with an order number on it. The wholesaler orders from the distributor and the distributor orders from the producer.

The goal of the game is to maximize profit. You make money for orders fulfilled. You lose money for keeping inventory and for unfulfilled backorders. Once you get orders, there is a four week delay as the paperwork is processed, the beer is picked, it goes onto a pallet, then goes onto a truck and finally gets delivered.

So much great stuff in this interview with Gabe Newell: Excellent thoughts on staff, customers & community /via @tef

Ben Horowitz: "Peacetime CEO/wartime CEO" (/via @rands)

RT @rands: Every manager must layoff their own people:

Ben Horowitz: How to Minimize Politics in Your Company:

"Oftentimes presentation is every bit as important as the actual product itself."

(via <a href="http://infovore.org/">Tom Armitage</a>