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Programmers At Work

A forum to read and discuss interviews featured in the book Programmers at Work


    • About
    • Jaron Lanier – 1986
    • Toru Iwatani, 1986 PacMan Designer
    • Charles Simonyi– 1986
    • Butler Lampson-1986
    • John Warnock-1986
    • Gary Kildall 1986
    • Bill Gates–1986
    • John Page-1986
    • Dan Bricklin – 1986

  • May 20, 2026

    Insights from Great Programmers: New Book Release!

    Insights from Great Programmers: New Book Release!

    Programmers at Work is Back! “Each of the 19 Interviews…is like a Crackerjack box–the Utterly Disarming, Frequently Astonishing Insight is the prize.” –Steven Levy I’m excited to share that Programmers at Work, a book I wrote while I was a young employee at Microsoft trying to understand what great programmers and programming were all about,… Continue reading

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    computer science, Edge AI programming, Embedded programming, Microsoft, Robotics, software development, Systems Design, Vintage Computing, Vintage Programming
  • November 3, 2025

    Programmers at Work Published in Korea!

    Programmers at Work Published in Korea!

    Excited to announce that a Korean Language edition of my book Programmers at Work was published this October 2025 in Korea by Insight Press in print and ebook form. My book continues to be read by programmers around the world, not only because it features in-depth conversations from some of the greatest tech luminaries to… Continue reading

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    Andy Hertzfeld, Bill Gates, Charles Simonyi, Coders at Work, Hackers, history of personal computer industry, How to learn programming, Jaron Lanier, Korean language programming, Micro controller programming, PC History, PC software revolution, Programmers at Work, Programming Pearls, Ray Ozzie, Robotics, Susan Lammers, Technical Visionaries, Toru Iwatani
  • December 24, 2021

    Programmers at Work Book Available

    Update: A new Edition of Programmers at Work is published and available to order now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or whereever books are sold. Don’t miss it. In working on preparing the book for publication this year and writing a new introduction, it truly does seem like a blast from the past might help… Continue reading

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    Bill Gates, coding, history of personal computer industry, Programmers at Work
  • February 19, 2013

    New Posting of 1986 Jaron Lanier Interview

    Today I posted the Jaron Lanier interview from his early days as a young programmer in California. Back then, this free-spirited guy was touting Virtual Reality to disbelieving stares. Jaron has become a great spokesman and sage for the industry, questioning where we are going and where we have come from. He is an author,… Continue reading

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  • November 29, 2010

    Toru Iwatani, PacMan Designer and Professor Today

    Some 25 years later, I still distinctly remember  meeting with Toru Iwatani in his offices in Tokyo, Japan in 1986. His quiet demeanor, his upfront declaration that he wasn’t a “programmer” in the coding sense of the word, and how he came at the creation of his game and his software from an unusual perspective,… Continue reading

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  • June 17, 2010

    Dan Bricklin- 2010

    “Maybe technology will pass me by, maybe not.” This is what Dan Bricklin said back in 1986 and I’m here to report, Dan has been riding technology waves like a seasoned surfer ever since then. Recently I visited Dan Bricklin’s personal blog and found just like always,  he continues to innovate and create cutting edge… Continue reading

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    Dan Bricklin, Ge Wang, ipad apps, iphone apps, Note Taker HD, Smule
  • May 21, 2010

    Programmers At Work in China

    Just wanted to share the news that Turing Books, a highly-regarded technical book publisher in China, has plans to translate Programmers At Work into Chinese and publish it in book form in the coming year. I’m thrilled at the prospect and curious what the many bright, young engineering entrepreneurs in China will learn from the… Continue reading

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  • July 10, 2008

    Charles Simonyi reflects

    Charles Simonyi, still engaged and pushing the software envelop twenty years later, has written up his reflections on his PAW interview and he has posted it on the blog of his current company, Intentional Software. Thanks Charles for taking the time to add your insight and perspective to this continuing creative dialogue about where computing… Continue reading

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  • May 20, 2008

    Bill Gates 1986-2008

    Today I’ve posted the Bill Gates interview under the PAW–1986 interviews column at the right. Let’s just say a little water has gone under the bridge since my interview in 1986. I’m sure many of you will enjoy reading this interview and noting all the quaint antiquities…like BASIC…the still amazing way code had to be… Continue reading

    Uncategorized
    BASIC, Bill Gates, CD ROM, Microsoft, PC History
  • April 5, 2008

    Jon Kabat Zinn @ Google

    This talk about mindfulness at work and how the tuning and reflection meditation produces can lead to creative breakthroughs and solution serendipity is worth watching. Continue reading

    Uncategorized
    creative breakthroughs, John Kabat Zinn, meditation, mindfulness at work
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About Me

I’m Susan Lammers, author of Programmers at Work, a book of interviews I wrote and edited back in 1986 when I worked at Microsoft. This book continues to captivate readers so much so that a 40th Anniversary Edition is being released this July with a new introduction and in multiple formats. I am honored and thrilled that 8080 Books/Simon & Schuster are behind the effort. We have launched a new site for the new release. Thank you for your support all these years.

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Recent Posts

  • Insights from Great Programmers: New Book Release!
  • Programmers at Work Published in Korea!
  • Programmers at Work Book Available
  • New Posting of 1986 Jaron Lanier Interview
  • Toru Iwatani, PacMan Designer and Professor Today

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  • Insights from Great Programmers: New Book Release!
  • Programmers at Work Published in Korea!
  • Programmers at Work Book Available

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