Microcomm Publications - Poetry: Entering Academia

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Entering Academia
(the true story of Microcomm's hiatus)
Copyright © 2013 by Dr. H. Paul Shuch

Establishing a startup must be every techie's dream.
With new ideas to exploit, it quickly comes to seem
As though you're at your industry's advanced and cutting edge.
But soon that starts to stale, and so your options you must hedge.
An entrepreneur tests the waters, finding them just fine,
Until his balance sheets direct him to the bottom line.

The truth is that invention, which had called you from the start
Is not the bulk of business. In fact, it's the smallest part.
It's great to be the first to harness new technology,
But, going into production, you will quickly come to see
The vultures circling overhead, just waiting to swoop down,
And soon you know you're really not the only game in town.

A certain kind of person loves to stay, and run the show.
But, if you are like most of us, you'll very quickly know
That daily corporate drudgery is not why you signed on,
And that's why, after just three years, most businesses are gone.
Their founders fast return to being normal working stiffs,
But certainly they're happier. No buts, or ands, or ifs.

And, so it was with Microcomm. We started with a roar,
Developing the first home satellite TV, and more.
But soon the imitators hit the market with their clones,
And they could do it cheaper - you just knew it in your bones.
Without a new design, your creativity would peak,
And this would soon become a boring forty hour week.

Perhaps I was more fortunate than most. Without much reach
Outside the box, I knew that I could always go and teach.
For any engineer who can communicate quite clearly
Is wanted by the colleges, and they pay rather dearly.
Within just a few years, I went from Captain of Industry
To tenured Full Professor (which was good enough for me).

A techie in the classroom has a very special role,
For if he does it right, he can quite easily control
Not only student's prospects for employment and advancement,
But industry's near future technological enhancement.
Your function starts to change, and if you're lucky, you may enter
The classroom as a teacher, but you soon become a mentor.

If you should have the knack for it, you very quickly find
That you've become a sensei in the dojo of the mind.
And will you miss the rat race of the business world? Perhaps.
So wait and see what happens when you let some time elapse.
But that's just my experience. Readers should be wary
When charting their own course. Remember, your mileage may vary.

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