This is a well known story (in the HN world at least) but re-reading it I came across this realisation

>>> . It was an organization in complete, unrelenting chaos. >>> I was lucky enough during all of this to work with some of the most amazing engineers in the Bay Area. We kept our heads down and did good (sometimes great) work despite the chaos.

So, given the on/off threads of recent days, what was the point of management in those orgs? or at least official budget holding management?

fifty years ago could a factory in utter chaos produce anything?

My take is still coders are the new managers