In the aggressive tech landscape of the 1990s, the team behind Windows NT employed a unique blend of technical prowess and childish pranks to assert dominance over rivals. According to Dave Cutler, the chief architect and designer of Windows NT, this included sending competitors mock 'black cardboard coffins' and even fake dog excrement.
These unconventional tactics were aimed at companies perceived as overly boastful or difficult. Cutler recounted a specific incident involving Sun Microsystems and its co-founder Scott McNealy. In response to Sun's marketing, which featured a dog named Network, the Windows NT team sent McNealy a two-foot-long coffin. This coffin contained a birthday card that played the "Death March" tune. A similar package was also sent to Lee Reiswig at IBM, who was also mentioned as being difficult.
To add an extra layer of insult, the team included fake dog feces in the coffin sent to McNealy. Cutler noted that these packages were hand-delivered to ensure they reached their intended recipients. A third package was prepared for figures like Larry Ellison, but it was reportedly never sent.
These anecdotes, shared by Cutler in an interview with ex-Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer, highlight the intense and often eccentric rivalries that characterized the early days of the tech industry. While such methods might be viewed unfavorably today, they offer a glimpse into a different era of corporate competition, where elaborate pranks were part of the feud.