The Art of ‘Ware [version 2.0] by Bruce F. Webster
[Copyright (c) 1995, 2008 by Bruce F. Webster. All rights reserved. Last updated 04/30/08]
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First, let me thank Sun Tzu for having written a stunning piece of work some 2,500 years ago. I must also thank those who have preserved it through the years and those who have translated it in modern times. If there is any brilliance in this book, it comes from Sun Tzu; I am merely along for the ride.
I must also acknowledge all that I have learned from the various opportunities given me over the past 30+ years, especially from the people I have worked with. Special credit goes to my five years at Pages Software Inc. as a member of Team Banzai. The experience of going from two engineers in a cheap office to a full-blown company with several million dollars in venture funding was exhausting, exhilarating and educational; watching the same company succumb to market forces was likewise an exhausting education.
Much credit for the publication of the original (1995) edition of this book goes to Carole McClendon of the Waterside Agency, for pitching the idea; to Brenda McLaughlin and Steve Berkowitz at M&T Books, for accepting it; and Debra Williams Cauley, for helping turn the manuscript into a published product.
Significant thanks for the original edition also go to Bruce Henderson, who encouraged the idea when I first proposed it, as well as Erza Shapiro, who didn’t let a long friendship get in the way of being honest about changes and improvements that the manuscript needed. Eric Nee, then editor-in-chief at Upside, generously took time to read and critique an early draft. At ARINC, Mitch Baxter gave feedback on the almost-final draft, while Bill Stewart became the first (and, for all I know, last) person to cite The Art of ‘Ware in a company memo dictating a particular course of action. The combined input of these and other friends made the original book much better than it would have been otherwise; I hope that feedback here on this website will do the same.
For version 2.0, I want to thank Guy Kawasaki, whose kind words about this edition on his web site resulted in a much larger online readership of the electronic version than I would have expected. I’d also like to thank the many online readers who have made observations and given feedback, with a special thanks to Dan Franklin for finding more typos than everyone else put together.
My wonderful wife Sandra, as always, has provided unflagging encouragement, support and love, while our children home and abroad — Chase, Aaron, Jacqui, Heather, Bethan, Jeni, Wesley, Jon, Crystal, and Salem — provided enthusiasm when my own was lagging.
All responsibility for the contents of the book is mine.
Bruce F. Webster
Parker, Colorado
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