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Acquired returns with a classic, delving into Microsoft’s first acquisition ever: Forethought Inc, the makers of PowerPoint. Hate it or love it, you can’t deny the combined companies’ impact: by the early 90’s PowerPoint had transformed the way businesses, educators and governments communicate, ensuring job security for pointy-haired Dilbert bosses everywhere.

Links:

• Robert Gaskins’ definitive history of building PowerPoint: Sweating Bullets
• Absolute Powerpoint by Ian Parker

Carve Outs:

• Ben: Mindfulness in Plain English and discussion on Hacker News
• David: The Birds have landed…

Sponsor:

• Thanks to Perkins Coie, Counsel to Great Companies, for sponsoring Acquired Season 2. You can get in touch with Gina Eiben, who you heard at the beginning of this podcast, here.