

I don’t think anyone is going to disagree with you that the direction IBM execs were pushing the tech was terrible. I think this is a great example of how ego and narcissism can stifle innovation.
He was an industrial psychologist. He was trying to develope and fit the technology to a specific psyche. He couldn’t get them to learn/use the new technology, so he created an interface for them, that they could/would use.
It also shows how it seems business executives attitudes haven’t changed much, when it comes to ego and narcissism.
X^3 = x•x•x
X^2 = x•x
X^1 = x
X^0 = 1
X^-1 = 1/x
X^-2 = 1/(x•x)
X^-3 = 1/(x•x•x)
When the exponent is between -1 and 1, it becomes a root function:
X^(1/2) = sqrt(x)
X^(1/3) = cubic root(x)
X^-(1/2) = 1/(sqrt(x))
X^-(1/3) = 1/(cubic root(x))