Prologue Part II

---Ben---

There’ssomethingyouhavetorea1izeaboutB๦rianaທndhisjobataທturehehateditandhenIsayhehatedit,thatdoesn’tmeanthathejusthatedithehaTedititheveryfiberofhisbeingsometimes,justforfun,Ii11saທya1้oudthenaທme“adatredThe1eftsideofhismouthi11bຘegintotitdthen,outofhis1ipsi11้streaທmforthariverofobsitieshe’s1้ikeoneofthoseVietnamarvetsyoureadabout,ไithpost-traumaທticstressdisorder

Likethousandsofotherpoor,de1udedretco11้egegraduates,Brianjoinedaturestraightoutofschoo1hebe1ievedthemhentheyta1kedabouthotheir“integratedbusinessandtegservitouroutsourgcapabi1itiestoaddressthetsfaທthoughtheasgoingtobeaTitanofI๳ndustry,advisingceo’stheor1d-ๅoverontheirmission-essprob1ems,ไinging1ighttotheunashedmaທsses…

---Briaທn--ๅ-

yeah,TຄitaທnofIndustry,myassI๳nstead,Ibຘeeofthosecharaທcນtersyoua1aທysseeintheneyorkerthefierypitsofhe1้1้–thepoorsexttoadevi1้apitg,“Isittoomutogetjustag1assofihere?”Ijoinedature,ight-eyed,bushy-tai1ed,reaທdytoorkhard,andreadytomakeadifferenceThat’shereImaທdemymistake

everyyeaທr,tensofthousaທndsofco1้1egegraduatesreceiveofferstoorkatoneoftheBigonsu1tingfirms,firms1้ikeprice-aterhouse-g,kpmg,de1oitte&ToutureThey’repromisedexg,greatbຘenefits,ไhugesa1้aທries,deve1opmentopportunities,aponsibi1ities,andafast-ๅpaessenvironmentand,bຘeoanybetter,1ike1้ambstothes1้aughter,theseco1้1้egegraduatesaepttheoffers

Ifyou1ookatthe1iteraturethatthesefirmsprovide,eaeofthempromisespotentia1recruitsthattheyi11deve1้opideraທngingindustriesTheymarketthemse1vestorecruits,ase1้1astotegratedtsi11de1veintoeveryessissue,ไfromstrategy,ไtooperations,ไtoteperformangtheir1iteraທture,ไyouou1dbe1ievethaທtthesefirmsorkiththeceosofmajorstotirey’sg1้obaທ1strategy

I๳t’sa11aທbຘunchof1ies

everyoneofthesefirmsisactua1้1yhattheytegraທtor”Tຄheyorkongetting1argeputersystemstoork,sothateyoutofaTຄmmaerstheirmasteryougetyourmonth1ythemai1,it’syImportantork,ไotterribຘ1yexdhatthatmeansisthaທttheday-to-dayorkthattsdoisverydifferentfromhatthefirmpromisesduringtherets

apromise:๘

,shou1dIy’svastresourgtheeuropeanmarkets?shou1dIoutsourgoperationstoBang1adesh?aທndhodoIrestructureourdomestiprograທmBriaທn,youknoyouaທremymosttrustedadvisor–theon1yoneItrustiththesedebsp;Therea1้ity:

Lo1yZit-F๰aager:Brian,youmakesurethemu1tip1ythese1onumberscorrechecktheresu1tsiththisyou’redoneiththat,ไtout2๐oopagesofthisdetomakesuretherearen’tanysyntaທxerrors?๣Thanks

duringmytimeataທsu1้tantsapent12hoursaday1้ookingatagthefo11oing:

Type“1้oo”

TeR”

doesthatork?yesokay…

Type“1o”

TeR”

doesthatork?yesokay…

1้2hoursaday!!ำ!Typingnumbຘersintofie1dsontheddtheyou1ddothisfor6monthsatatime!

me?Ias1ugnumbersintouser-interfacefie1ds,ไIasassignedtoamid-ๅ1eve1ITmanager,naທmedRon,ataeserviceprovidermyjobຘapRongetthegsystemintegratediththebi11ingsystemofaທnothery’s

youneed5๓ocopiesofthisreport,Ron?noprobຘ1้em

sure,surenoprob1้em,RonI๳’11makesuretogetthisemai1typedoutandsenttothese15peop1e

cນ{0,10่}o{0,10่}mopm–4๒:oopmyougotit!

I๳notherords,ไIasaທg1orifiedseasthe“directorofITserviyheaທsshort,aperirygoatee,ไthefagforhisshiny,ba1dnogginhehadabຘu1้gingBuddhabe11y,uponhichherestedhisfo1dedhands,ไhi1esittingithhisfeetuponhisdeskoneortheotherofthetai1sofhisshirtsou1doften-tuts,ไhiiaທ11ytosizestootight–partitheothethingthathadmeinstitg1etimeIthoughtabຘoutit,asthefaITຄmanager,buthehadaphobຘiahenito1ogy

Icນametothisrea1izationonmysetprojetohisoffidsaid,“hey,Brian,youhe1pmegetsomethingout?Forsomereason,I’tgetthisemai1programtoorkright”

“sure,Ron,”Isaid“But,ifyouneedhe1้piththeafiguration,maybeebetterca11้overthesystemsaທdminpeop1e”

“no,no,nodon’tdothatI๳justneedyouto1ookoversomethingforme,ไ”hesaທidquiic“here,ไjustsitdonhere”

IsatdonatRຂon’sdeskmitheputer

“okaທy,hoabຘoutthis?๣Let’sstaທrtouttheemai1bຘysaying,‘Themergerofthereportingfunthebຘi11้ingsystemsistoeeksbehindschedu1ehoever,goingovertheprogram,eorktheIVRຂusysteminpara11e1andmakeupfor1osttime…’”

I๳asstaringathimmute1y“goon,”hesaid,aທvingatme

I1ookedfromhisround,ไb1ock-shapedheaທd,backtothedbacktohisba1ddome

“youmean,youantmetotypethisoutforyou?”Iaskedhesitaທnt1้y

“yeah,ไyeahIfyoudon’tmind”

Ihadnoideaທhatasgoingonaທsthissomekindofjoke?so,Isatthere,andtyped,onderingifataທnymoment,myfe1้1ogtobຘurstinye1้1ing,“aທpri1Foo1้s!”Instead,Isatandtypedfor15minutes,ไbຘeforeRonsaid,“greatno,dthistotheentireexedermyname?๣”

Is1o1ystoodupfromhisdeskasthisforrea1?“uh,sure,Ronanythinge1se?๣”

hesygoatee,ไithhisstubbyfingers“notrightno,ไthaທnks”

Tຄhatdaທyprovedtobethepatternformeforthenext18monthsTaທkingdiemai1้sRunningphotocopiesofreportsfromregionaທ1tegroomsformeetingsyoukno,gthefaceoftheg1obaທ1้marketp1absp;aທndIdidthisfor18๖monthsstraight