One of the really cool things I’ve been able to do over the years in this job is speak with people who played a role in shaping the software industry. Those are invariably fascinating conversations, so I had very high expectations when I was invited to speak with George A. Santino, who retired as partner engineering manager after a 20-year career at Microsoft. I wasn’t disappointed.
Santino was one of the early insiders at Microsoft, and the individual who created and led Microsoft’s Enterprise Engineering Center, the lab that expanded Microsoft’s influence from desktop kingpin to enterprise linchpin. His is a rags-to-riches story that’s chronicled in his forthcoming book, “Get Back Up: From the Streets to Microsoft Suites.”