I'm discussing a project with my friend Jason Pontin at MIT Technology Review. He was lamenting how he has to go around his own people to get this done. That reminded me of a Jean-Louis Gassee story, the legendary former head of product at Apple in the late 80s.

Jason, you're in good company.

In 1988, I had lunch with my friend Jean Louis-Gassee at Apple. He was in charge of products.

He wanted me to do a scripting language for the Mac.

I said "But Uncle Jean-Louis, you are head of the biggest greatest tech innovator in all the land, why don't you just command your minions to create a scripting language for the Mac?"