Richard William Weiland Papers

Satday May 28

Thursday morning I spent on EDITX ref guide, was on my way at 9:15 went to Dataco. Rather expensive. Took drive to Old town arriving ~ 10. Thought about things till ~ 11.

Realized what it is I have besides a good education, good general background, etc., good work experience in computers, etc. I have a thing called EDITX. The program is valuable on Dec Sys 10s. The logic for it is worth a little to me too. The design is pretty worthless as for any computer program. Though it adds to my background. Do I want to sell it outright? I don't think I can. I must sell myself with it. If I must work on it, then I want to in a mode that will push me to push it. I want to be personally involved with it. I also don't know whether it can be sold to TYMSHARE, etc but I want

to try. I guess I have to think about what T/S has to offer & how they try to attract customers. They whole reason for this hour was to think whether EDITX has any worth. I am concluding that I really don't know. I spent 11-11:30 getting DATACO to do solder & 11:30-12 w/ Chuck on phone. From 12-1 I just reviewed my thoughts.

EDX is the only thing that makes me at all special. Should I try to clean up on it now + be done or just hang in there + see it through. Who can I sell it too. Universities are too snobbish, cheap & bureaucratic. Business, you have to get the users interested and/or the operations people. And then mgt has to pay for it. So they have to be convinced. It is not that directly related to their business. Does it help them produce that much more? No. It relieves

frustration & make programming easier. I've tried selling it to APS (we'll see) and Rey [reg?] 19 in El Paso (no luck). But if the people who use it can really say good stuff about it and if they are the ones to spend the money on it, then it may be saleable. And of course we can push the improvements part of the agreement. If I had SOS and $3600, it all depends on how much cash a comp center has. This is for a business with its own 10. If they have a ten, then they had money.

Now what about T/S companies. They are pretty greedy with their cash & if they have an editor which they think highly of, then as T. McLoan points out, you can't even get their attention. But is he telling the truth? Did he push EDITX?

Then there are research institutes, public schools, small colleges, etc. There

My problem now is what I want to do in the future. Do I want to be like Paul/Bill, I don't know! Bill works much harder than I'd care to, at least at this time. I have worked very hard on lots of things at different times & I've had really good times other times. The question is what sort of life do I want to do now? I want to be very bullish & aggressive in software 40 hrs a week + screwed around & have a good life too. I want to get a position in the software industry or rather the computer industry which will help me be someone. I want to use my mind. I want to work on interesting things and reap profit from them. This is very true.

To do that I have to have cash & more brains. I am willing to move ahead & get some cash + more brains from RM. And if I

need to, I will go to business school.

So I really want to get cash. I want to make something of myself. I want to be somebody with goals to accomplish. I must figure out what EDX is worth as that is the only way I think I can get cash.

One major problem w/EDX is that it replaces something which is pretty good. The question has to be whether people think EDX is that much better than what they have. They can also be buying a service from RM. The development service.

If I sell out EDX what will I do? I of course would continue to work at RM. Would I work hard? Not as hard as if I still were getting a percentage from EDX. That's for sure. But it would be advantageous to

RM to have it so they could finally control how much I work on it, etc. I would have no interest in it other than as my pet thing to work on. So, I must try to figure out what I think it's worth. If very little, then sell it.

If I had SOS why would I get EDX and remember I am the pres of a business or someone who holds the purse strings. My computer guys are supposed to be developing programs & data. Why do you need a complex editor for that? I don't want my guys on the phone all the time to you. If they do need special capabilities, you can have them. And other people are doing this too so you get the benefit of their suggestions too.

But I ask myself, what have I myself put into or wanted to put into EDITX. Nothing.

It is dissimilar to SOS. In trying to sell it & get people to try it out they may complain about this. like the F & S switch around or different characters for different things in Alter mode. One could try to make it very similar to SOS but then you get problems in making it better. And this even stands in the way of new customers. They want to have an editor which is very similar to that on other [DEC System] tens. Smart! 4/2001

You cannot start out a project which is an improvement or refinement. It simply will not make money.

Are there any reasons why it would be better to let RM have it and just work on it. I would be simply involved in profit sharing of the company like everyone else. I would not be a special guy there. I'd be like everyone else. It's true I would have an extra $40 to $50k but

That would just be good compensation for my work in the past. Sort of a nest egg to sit on a while. I can get a house. I'll still have my work and I can still try to create a good role for myself. The other thing is that I still don't really know what I'm doing & I want to be more of a learner now. I don't want to worry and spend too much of my time thinking. I would be wanting just to say "screw it" sometimes. It is easier to say that than than to direct profits from a product. It would be a lot easier life.

Also I really don't know R & M that well. You should know your business partners before you get into contractual relations with them.

My special problem is that I don't want to move as fast as Bill & Paul right now in work. I want to spend my years 24 to 27 or 28

without too much work. Actually that is much too long. Maybe just 24 to 25 and then go to H.B.S then. It is somewhat true what Bill says about lots of guys my caliber, my age are doing med school and law school now. I personally think that idea sucks. It is appropriate, I think, to work a year (not too hard) before one graduates and then to work very hard the year right after grad from college, when you're 23. Then the next year should be a good work year but only 40 hours a week or so. And no special profit incentive. Going to business school from 25 to 26, could be especially good. That is, I want to do bus school & I don't feel like getting particularly wealthy or involved in industry before I'm 30.

I've asked myself how it would feel to be in Bill's shoes.

I really would not know how to handle it. It is just to much money so young. Really wierd.

These are all Sat'days thoughts. Friday after the spa I ate & went out and had high old spring time at Foxes. I even tried to arrange orgy; was good at getting response. Fortunately it didn't go through. I ended up just going home w/ Randy. Just like old times, but that's enough of it for me.

So I spent 10:30 till 1:00 writing here & then snack and 1:15-2 thinking it over. Then home then call Chuck & lunch at 3:00. Final writing here at 3:45 is that I should spend all my time being enthusiastic in life & apply myself to whatever I want to do. Think it out so I won't ever say, I wish I'd done that.