# Why Small Teams and Passion Matter in Building Computing Systems

DevFeed: [Why Small Teams and Passion Matter in Building Computing Systems](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-new-golden-age-of-building-with-soul-35182.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.jessfraz.com/post/new-golden-age-of-building-with-soul/>)

Published: 2019-02-13T15:09:26Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Jessie Frazelle](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jessie-frazelle.md>)

Topics: [Computing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/computing.md>), [trust](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/trust.md>)

Tags: [computing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/computing.md>), [intel](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/intel.md>), [mission](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mission.md>), [moore-s-law](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/moore-s-law.md>), [personal](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/personal.md>), [power](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/power.md>), [recognition](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/recognition.md>), [small](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/small.md>), [team](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/team.md>), [trust](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/trust.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/x86.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article reflects on the early era of garage-built personal computers and argues that small, mission-aligned teams can create impactful computing systems. Drawing on The Soul of a New Machine, it emphasizes passion, accomplishment, self-fulfillment, expertise, and trust over power or recognition.

## Source excerpt

From the Intel x86 Manual: In the mid-1960s, Intel cofounder and Chairman Emeritus Gordon Moore had this observation: "... the number of transistors that would be incorporated on a silicon die would double every 18 months for the next several years." Over the past three and half decades, this prediction known as "Moore's Law" has continued to hold true. Moore's Law is coming up a lot lately in the context of coming to an end. It's kind of been a running joke for quite some time though so I think there is still a bit of skepticism around claiming it's ending. However, Moore's Law ending can mean a lot of different things for the future of computing. Golden Age of Garage Computer Builders Personally, I look back on the golden age of computers as the time when people were building the first personal computers in their garage. There is a certain whimsy of that time fueled with a mix of hard work and passion for building something crazy with a very small team. In today's age, at large companies, most engineers take jobs where they work on one teeny aspect of a machine or website or app. Sometimes they are not even aware of the larger goal or vision but just their own little world. Back in the garage computer building era (or so I will call it), a very small group of people aligned on a mission could create something bigger than themselves and have immense impact. This is more aligned with how startups work, in my opinion, in that small groups of people with the same end goal build something together. Soul and Passion This break I read The Soul of a New Machine, thanks @bcantrill for the recommendation. (He also wrote an amazing blog post on it.) In the book, a small team built an entire machine. The book really hit home for me on so many levels. The team wasn't driven by power or greed, but by accomplishment and self-fulfillment. They put a part of themselves in the machine therefore producing a machine with a soul. The chapter 15 of The Soul of a new Machine is so powerfu