The Autodesk file

What Hacker News says

1. ruevsMar 2026
   The last Autodesk software I've used was AutoCAD 2000 (released in 1999). And I've not followed them since.

   Perhaps they have indeed become "one of the worst corp. in the world of software", but in the early years they were very interesting. The founder of Autodesk, John Walker (he died in 2024) wrote/edited and interesting book on the early years: "The Autodesk File" https://fourmilab.ch/autofile/

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2. pavlovNov 2025
   John Walker passed away last year.

   His “Autodesk File” is an interesting read because it’s not the usual “just so” kind of startup memoir that tries to explain how success was preordained by the founder’s genius, but instead a collection of actual documents like memos in chronological order:

   https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/

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3. rurbanFeb 2025
   Good counter on John Walker's "The Autodesk File" https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/
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4. zmb_Feb 2024
   HotBits is my earliest memory from the Internet after getting access as a young kid around 1996. Back in those days computer magazines would print website reviews and links, and I found HotBits in one of those. It was fascinating to a young kid who was into computers and physics.

   Over a decade later I read the Autodesk File and it was a major inspiration for founding my first startup.

   He was an inspiration to generations of hackers.

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5. throy930493Sep 2023
   "Sweating Bullets", "Almost Perfect" (http://www.wordplace.com/ap/), "The Autodesk File" (https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/e5/) and "Show Stopper!" were a few books that I think pair very well, and as a developer who wasn't around in the time really gave interesting and comparable insights into the development of a few really important companies and pieces of software.
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6. jazzyjacksonAug 2023
   In the spirit of xanadu, would you mind posting a link?

   In searching your keywords, I did come across a font of wisdom in the form of "The Autodesk File: Bits of History, Words of Experience" which contains some chapters on Xanadu and Autodesk's relationship and acquisition - which I've managed to be wholly unaware of despite being a xanadu enthusiast (in so far as buying a couple of Ted's books and watching his videos on youtube counts :)

   http://www.worldcolleges.info/sites/default/files/formpig_au... (see ToC, Xanadu on page 416 and elsewhere)

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