Flashback to the early 1990s, when the regional retail chain where this IT pilot fish works is beginning to consider in-store use of PCs..

“We were looking at all the things a PC could do for each store,” fish says. “I went to talk to the boss about this. His reaction: ‘PCs? Over my dead body!’

“At the time, our shelf signs were made by each store’s manager with some pre-printed sign stock and a Sharpie — or crayons, or whatever was close at hand. Knowing we could do a better job with a PC and laser printer, we developed a stealth project to make this happen.

“We installed the system at one store and invited the boss to see the shelf signs we made with our new ‘sign kit.’

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