Coming soon · Book Profile
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The intimate, real-world chronicle of a small team of engineers at Data General who, under the driven leader Tom West, raced against time and rivals to design and build a 32-bit supermini computer nicknamed Eagle.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Tracy Kidder embeds himself inside the basement of Data General's Westborough headquarters to tell the true story of how a band of underdog engineers built a state-of-the-art computer in roughly a year, working brutal hours for little extra pay. Blending the suspense of a technothriller with sharp psychological portraiture, the book reveals what actually motivates people to pour their souls into demanding creative work: not money, but the intoxicating chance to build something larger than themselves, to sign their names to a machine, and to 'play pinball'—the right to keep playing by winning. Along the way, Kidder demystifies how computers work while showing that the true soul of any new machine is the collective soul of the people who made it.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- An ambitious builder, engineer, or leader who wants to create something excellent, meaningful, and larger than themselves.
- The problem
- They must produce difficult, high-stakes creative work on impossible timelines with limited resources and recognition. They feel unsure whether the grind is worth it, fearing burnout, obscurity, and the loss of their identity to their work.
- The plan
- Sign up: fully commit to a project you can make your own.
- Assemble a team and give each person a meaningful, challenging piece to own.
- Set an audacious schedule and use it as a motivating game.
- Fly upside down: take calculated risks and keep constant, visible progress.
- Protect the team from politics and manufacture meaning and momentum.
- The payoff
- You get to 'play pinball'—win and earn the right to build the next thing. · You feel part of you is in the machine, with real pride and self-fulfillment. · You gain skill, reputation, and the memory of something unforgettable in your working life.
See our guide
Additional reading
- The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code · Joel Spolsky
It is the direct inspiration for 'The Rands Test'. The author presents his own test as an homage to Spolsky's, focusing on team health and communication rather than just code quality.
- The 48 Laws of Power · Robert Greene and Joost Elffers
The author contrasts his human-centric management style with the manipulative, power-focused laws in this book, arguing that business isn't war and that a focus on power alone will lead to failure.
- Code Complete · Steve McConnell
Used to illustrate the power of metaphors in a technical field, which the author contrasts with the often unhelpful and untrusted metaphors of 'managementese'.
- Being Geek · Michael Lopp (Rands)
The author's other book, referenced to discuss the 'curse of Silicon Valley' where great engineers are promoted into management roles they are ill-suited for.
- Continuous Delivery · Jez Humble and David Farley
Provides an in-depth exploration of the foundational technical principles and practices that are statistically shown in Accelerate to drive high performance.
- The Phoenix Project · Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
Offers a narrative, novel-style introduction to the core problems and DevOps principles that Accelerate measures and validates scientifically.
- The Lean Startup · Eric Ries
Explains the principles of experimental product development, working in small batches (MVPs), and validated learning, which are identified as key capabilities in Accelerate's research.
- Lean Enterprise · Jez Humble, Joanne Molesky, and Barry O'Reilly
Addresses how to apply the principles of Lean, DevOps, and continuous delivery at scale within large, complex organizations, a common context for readers of Accelerate.
- The Art of Business Value · Mark Schwartz
Cited in the book, it explores the relationship between IT work and business value, providing context for why improving software delivery performance matters to the broader organization.
- Publications by Ron Westrum · Ron Westrum
His work provides the theoretical foundation for the Westrum organizational culture model, a cornerstone of the book's analysis of culture and its impact on performance.