We're now halfway through the second phase of the Cisco Heritage interviews. With 100+ completed sessions, some conclusions are clear....
1. These stories, mostly focused on the 'early era' 1984-1996, are a magnificent testimony to the style, ethos, culture and drive of a company obsessed with its impact on the world as the Internet unfolded
2. The people 'knew that' but were so busy they didn't have time to reflect on the larger meaning. The interviews invariably evoked a pride, a satisfaction, even a whistle of admiration for what they did do
3. The stories are widespread, and varied, as you'd expect. Many interviewers select the 'leaders'--we consciously selected widely, from tech writers to service techs, to engineers, to data entry folk, to admin secretaries, to speech writers, marketing and HR folk, as well as the executives 'in the books'
4. The need for 'credit' is uncommonly low, a bit of a surprise for us, and a pleasant one at that. Instead, there is a pride of being part of 'the team' and a shock that 'my story' is of much interest. Self-effacing is not often used about Cisco as a company, but we find it over and over.
5. The warts are showing through in places--no one (well, hardly anyone) has focused on 'the dirt' but many have shared stories that are seldom discussed in 'polite circles' We feel that the candor and the respect that people have shown in sharing these colorful vignettes adds greatly to the mix.
6. Views from competitors and vendors alike have also given a richness to the activity, providing a different perspective and a cross-reference point for many of the stories.
Would we recommend this procedure be used more widely. No question!
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