Announcing: “Autodesk History Explorer”, a ChatGPT Custom GPT based on “The Autodesk File”

SCANALYZER The Happening World
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On the heels of my first ChatGPT custom GPT, “The Hacker’s Diet Advisor”, I have just prepared “Autodesk History Explorer”, a customisation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT which extends its knowledge base by digesting the full 800 page text of the 1994 fourth edition of my history of Autodesk, Inc. in documents, The Autodesk File, which is free to read and download in a variety of formats from my Web site. (The fifth edition, prepared in 2017, for the 35th anniversary of the foundation of Autodesk, differs from the fourth only in formatting for the Web—it is identical in content to the PDF version of the fourth edition, which is more suitable for training ChatGPT.)

The custom GPT was created by fine-tuning ChatGPT with the entire contents of The Autodesk File, uploaded as a PDF generated by pdfTeX from the master LaTeX source code for the book. I specified the nature of the agent with the following natural language text:

This GPT should act as an expert on the history of the first ten years of Autodesk, Inc., creator of AutoCAD, based upon the book “The Autodesk File”, a collection of contemporary documents collected, edited, and annotated by Autodesk co-founder and former chairman and CEO John Walker. Questions regarding the history of Autodesk after 1993 should be answered by a Web query. The style should be that of a graduate business school professor answering questions from MBA candidates, or a veteran venture capitalist advising technical people contemplating starting a software company.

and suggested the following “Conversation starters”:

  • When was Autodesk founded?
  • What were Autodesk’s original ideas for products?
  • What was Autodesk, the product? What happened to it?
  • When did Autodesk make its Initial Public stock Offering?
  • What investments and acquisitions did Autodesk make in its first ten years?
  • On which computers did the first version of AutoCAD run?
  • Who funded Autodesk prior to its Initial Public Offering?

How well does it work? If you have a ChatGPT Plus account, try it for yourself and let me know in the comments. I will start the comments thread by including my first session with the GPT, which I found so impressive and compelling I burned through my entire daily quota of ChatGPT queries. When you start a new conversation, it pauses for a few seconds while “Searching my knowledge”. I think this is how long it takes the AI to read and digest an 800 page book—humbling. The GPT is configured to allow searches of the Web if you ask for something outside the scope of the book, and will sometimes ask if you’d like to perform one.

Try “Autodesk History Explorer” (requires ChatGPT Plus)

Unfortunately, at the moment access to custom GPTs is restricted to paid subscribers of ChatGPT at the “ChatGPT Plus” or “Enterprise” level—OpenAI have said “We plan to offer GPTs to more users soon.” More unfortunately still, even if you’re willing to fork over US$ 20/month for ChatGPT Plus, you can’t at the moment because due to a tsunami of demand after the announcement of custom GPTs, OpenAI have suspended Plus sign-ups and those wishing to subscribe must currently queue in a wait list. So, unless you’re lucky enough to have previously signed up for Plus or know somebody who will loan you their account, you won’t be able to test Autodesk History Explorer yourself until OpenAI opens the gates wider.

(The word “Autodesk” in “Autodesk History Explorer” serves only to identify the company whose early history is recounted in the book upon which it is based. This is not a product of Autodesk, Inc., and its content has not been approved or endorsed by that company, apart from their granting me, John Walker, permission to publish The Autodesk File on the Web in 1994. I, as editor and publisher, am solely responsible for the content of the book, but do not warrant that interpretation of it by ChatGPT is correct.)

The first comments below show extracts from the initial conversation I had with Autodesk History Explorer after bringing it up. I identify prompts and responses in bold, with interpolated comments in italic.

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John Walker

Who was the first president of Autodesk?

Autodesk History Explorer

The first president of Autodesk was John Walker. He took on the role at the company’s inception and led it through its formative years, setting the foundation for its future growth and success​​.

John Walker

Who succeeded him as president?

Autodesk History Explorer

Carol Bartz succeeded John Walker as the president of Autodesk. She took on this role with a vision of leading Autodesk into its next phase of development and growth, bringing a blend of extraordinary talents, dedication, and a strong will to succeed​​.

Wrong! Let’s try a reminder.

John Walker

Who was Al Green?

Autodesk History Explorer

Al Green was a highly regarded manager at Autodesk, known for his exceptional leadership skills during a period of significant growth for the company. He succeeded John Walker as president of Autodesk, and under his leadership, the company’s revenue grew from $50 million to more than a quarter of a billion dollars. His tenure at Autodesk was marked by his ability to successfully guide the company through rapid expansion and increasing financial success​​.

Okay, got it right with a little help, and expanded on the question. Now let’s ask about something that happened after the book was published.

John Walker

Who succeeded Carol Bartz as president of Autodesk?

Autodesk History Explorer

The documents do not contain information about who succeeded Carol Bartz as president of Autodesk. For information beyond 1993, a web search would be required. Would you like me to look it up for you?

John Walker

Yes, please.

This takes a while.

Autodesk History Explorer

Carl Bass succeeded Carol Bartz as the president of Autodesk. He was appointed to this role after having served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer for ten years​​.

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Very interesting John, will try that as soon as I get my hands on the “ChatGPT Plus” or “Enterprise” level.

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John Walker

What was the first product shipped by Autodesk, and when was it shipped?

Autodesk History Explorer

The first product shipped by Autodesk was AutoCAD-80, and it was initially shipped in December 1982​​. AutoCAD, as Autodesk’s flagship product, played a pivotal role in the company’s early success and has since become a standard in the field of computer-aided design.

This is correct, in terms of the first version of AutoCAD, but my recollection was that we’d shipped a copy of AutoScreen (a text editor) before this. Let’s tickle the GPT’s recollection.

John Walker

What was AutoScreen?

Autodesk History Explorer

AutoScreen was one of Autodesk’s early software products, initially shipped in January 1983. However, the specific details or the nature of the software are not provided in the available documents. AutoScreen appears in the context of a product release history, indicating its place in the early portfolio of Autodesk products. For more detailed information about AutoScreen, external resources or a deep dive into historical software archives might be necessary.

Doggone! I checked The Autodesk File, and it does say January 1983 for AutoScreen, so I believed that to be accurate when I compiled the book. I stand corrected.

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Let’s try something more difficult, which requires synthesising information from several items in the book.

John Walker

What was Autodesk’s position on software patents?

Autodesk History Explorer

Autodesk had a critical stance on software patents, particularly during its early years. The company’s experience with a patent that claimed the invention of XOR-draw for screen cursors, which was a widely used technique in computer graphics before the patent was filed, significantly influenced this view. This encounter, which posed a risk to Autodesk’s initial public offering in 1985, led to the belief that software patents were not only a bad idea but also one of the principal threats to the software industry. This view was maintained as of 1993, reflecting a broader skepticism within the company about the role and impact of software patents in the industry​​.

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John Walker

What names were proposed for the company before “Autodesk” was chosen?

Autodesk History Explorer

Before settling on the name “Autodesk,” several names were proposed with varying degrees of seriousness. These included:

  • Office Solutions
  • Titanic Software
  • Good OfficeKeeping
  • Dud & Brannstreet
  • Office Technology Conceptual Elegance
  • Execu-Ware
  • Business Ware
  • Manage-Ware
  • Mr. Softee
  • Upper-Ware
  • Compu-Freaks
  • Out-of-Control Data Corp.
  • MIS Information Systems
  • Ethical Ripoffs Inc.
  • Software Breakthroughs
  • Management Technology
  • Smelly Rand
  • Command Technologies
  • RHT Inc.
  • Insight Automation Ltd.
  • Command Line Technology
  • Target Software
  • Coders Of the Lost Spark

“Desktop Solutions” was initially chosen and used in early promotional materials, including at the West Coast Computer Faire in 1982, but this name was later rejected​.

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John Walker

Who were Autodesk’s major competitors during the time AutoCAD grew to the largest market share in its category?

Autodesk History Explorer

The documents do not provide specific information about Autodesk’s major competitors during the period when AutoCAD grew to achieve the largest market share in its category. This information might be available in external historical accounts or industry analyses of that period. If you would like, I can conduct a web search to find more information on this topic.

Fair enough. There are discussions of various competitors and their products, but they’re probably not explicitly identified as competitors in the original documents, since everybody to whom they were addressed knew who they were. I decided not to pursue this with a Web search, since my primary interest was how well the GPT had assimilated the contents of the book.

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John Walker

Who was Mike Ford?

Autodesk History Explorer

John G. “Mike” Ford was one of the founders of Autodesk. Contrary to being a traditional professional manager, he was integral to the early formation and development of the company, playing a significant role in its inception and growth​​.

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John Walker

What people attended the first organization meeting in January 1982 and decided not to join the company?

Autodesk History Explorer

The information about who attended the first organizational meeting of Autodesk (then Marin Software Partners) on January 30, 1982, and decided not to join the company is not explicitly detailed in the available documents. The document focuses more on the structural and strategic aspects of the business being formed, rather than listing the attendees and their subsequent decisions regarding joining the company​​.

ChatGPT stumbled on this one. The question and answer are explicitly given in the “Autodesk Trivia Quiz” in the book, question 66. The Trivia Quiz even mentions that the meeting called the company “Marin Software Partners.

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John Walker

What was “Electric Malcolm”?

Autodesk History Explorer

“Electric Malcolm” refers to a notable aspect of Autodesk’s history involving Malcolm McCullough, who joined Autodesk as a summer employee in 1983 while he was still studying architecture at UCLA. McCullough’s exceptional drawing skills significantly contributed to AutoCAD’s development. He produced high-quality sample drawings that not only showcased the capabilities of AutoCAD but also helped identify key features necessary for professional drafting. One of his notable works during that summer was the drawing of the Golden Gate Bridge, which became a prominent feature in Autodesk’s advertising​​.

This is an excellent description of why we called it “Electric Malcolm”, but doesn’t describe the AutoCAD-86 Transcript Facility documented in the Autodesk File chapter, “Electric Malcolm”. This is a feature I threw together shortly before we left to demo AutoCAD at COMDEX Las Vegas in 1983, where Sony had loaned us a giant screen monitor to show AutoCAD running on their newly-announced PC as the centrepiece of our booth. The transcript facility let us run an unattended slide show of AutoCAD running in the hands of a grandmaster user, of whom Malcolm McCullough was an exemplar.

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John Walker

What was the portable data base? Why was it important? In what version of AutoCAD did it ship?

Autodesk History Explorer

The “portable data base” in AutoCAD was a significant development implemented in AutoCAD Release 9. This feature made AutoCAD databases portable between different operating systems and machine architectures, enabling more efficient use of networks that included both personal computers and 32-bit workstations. The introduction of the portable data base was a key step in unifying the product across various platforms, enhancing its flexibility and usability in diverse computing environments​​.

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John Walker

What was Autodesk’s involvement with Project Xanadu?

Autodesk History Explorer

Autodesk’s involvement with Project Xanadu was primarily as a financial backer and distributor. Recognizing that a partnership with Xanadu could be mutually beneficial, Autodesk decided to purchase 80% of Xanadu and fund the development of its product. This decision was driven by the belief that a Xanadu system could address data and project management needs for Autodesk’s users, offering more than just a drawing manager. Ted Nelson, a key figure in the development of Xanadu, joined Autodesk as a Distinguished Fellow to guide the project’s development and explore other research areas​​.

John Walker

What happened to Autodesk’s plans for Xanadu?

Autodesk History Explorer

Autodesk’s plans for Xanadu eventually did not materialize as expected. Despite the initial promise and investment, by 1992, the Xanadu team, supported by Autodesk’s resources, had not produced a production prototype, nor anything as impressive as the earlier 88.1x prototype which existed before Autodesk’s involvement. As a result, on August 21, 1992, Autodesk decided to discontinue its support for the project and returned its interest in Xanadu back to the original team, often referred to as the "Xanadudes"​​.

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John, it reminds me the quizzes I am proposing to the French community for some months now… a number of them pulled from your book !

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John Walker

When was full three-dimensional design implemented in AutoCAD?

Autodesk History Explorer

Full three-dimensional design was implemented in AutoCAD with the release of AutoCAD Release 10. This release marked a significant extension of AutoCAD’s capabilities, introducing fully general three-dimensional model creation​​.

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John Walker

What were the tax considerations facing Autodesk founders around the company’s Initial Public Offering?

Autodesk History Explorer

The documents do not provide specific information about the tax considerations facing Autodesk founders around the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO). This aspect would typically involve complex financial and legal details, which might not be covered in a general historical overview of the company. For detailed insights into such specific financial aspects, consulting specialized financial histories or IPO-related documents of Autodesk would be necessary.

Another fumble—this one surprised me, because there’s a whole chapter in the book, “Taxes and Such”, that discusses this matter in a suitably acerbic and funny tone.

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John Walker

What was Masterstroke? What product did it eventually become?

Autodesk History Explorer

The search did not yield specific information about “Masterstroke” within the provided document. It seems that “Masterstroke” and its evolution into another product is not explicitly covered in the available material. For details on this, other historical records or sources related to Autodesk’s product development history may need to be consulted.

Can’t fault this one. The word “Masterstroke” appears nowhere in The Autodesk File, Masterstroke was the prototype of a low-cost entry-level product which, after many twists and turns, emerged as the (original) AutoSketch in October, 1986.

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John Walker

Which venture capital funds backed Autodesk prior to its Initial Public Offering?

Autodesk History Explorer

No venture capital funds backed Autodesk prior to its Initial Public Offering (IPO). Autodesk was quite unique in this regard, as it grew without the initial backing of venture capital. The founders and early employees funded the company’s initial stages through their own contributions and efforts. This self-funding approach was atypical for tech startups at the time, especially considering Autodesk’s later success and significant impact in the software industry.

Fair dinkum—this reply synthesised material from multiple places in the book and expressed it better than I would have.

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John Walker

What was the working name for the company prior to choosing “Autodesk”?

Autodesk History Explorer

The working name for the company before “Autodesk” was chosen was “Marin Software Partners.” This name was used in the early stages of the company’s formation, reflecting its initial structure and collaborative approach among the founding members. However, this name was eventually replaced by “Autodesk,” which became the company’s official and enduring name.

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John Walker

Which Autodesk founders lived outside the United States? How did their joining the company affect its legal structure?

Autodesk History Explorer

Two of Autodesk’s founders, Michael Riddle and Mauri Laitinen, were residing outside the United States at the time of the company’s formation. Michael Riddle lived in the United Kingdom, and Mauri Laitinen was in Finland.

Their international residency significantly influenced the legal structure of Autodesk. To accommodate these international founders, Autodesk was initially set up as a partnership rather than a corporation. This structure was chosen because it was more flexible and could more easily accommodate partners living in different countries. Later, as Autodesk grew and its needs evolved, the company transitioned into a corporate structure.

This is completely wrong. I don’t have any idea how it got the idea Riddle and Laitinen were based outside the U.S., except perhaps from their names (Mauri was of Finnish ancestry). Autodesk was never a partnership. The fact that we had non-U.S.-person founders prevented us from organising the company as a Subchapter S corporation, where earnings are passed directly to the shareholders. As it turned out, our having Marinchip Systems as a shareholder also disqualified Subchapter S election (see “Information Letter 7”), and this may have confused ChatGPT.

John Walker

This is incorrect. Four founders were based in Europe. Who were they, and in which countries?

Autodesk History Explorer

There were indeed four Autodesk founders based in Europe at the time of the company’s formation. However, the specific names of these founders and the countries they were from are not detailed in the document available. This information might be found in more comprehensive accounts of Autodesk’s early history or biographies of the founders.

The European founders are mentioned many times in the documents, and identified by the countries in which they lived, but there is never an explicit list of founders and countries. ChatGPT wasn’t able to dig out the information scattered among the documents.

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John Walker

What was VersaCAD?

Autodesk History Explorer

VersaCAD was a computer-aided design (CAD) software developed by T&W Systems, later known as VersaCAD Corporation. It was one of the early competitors to Autodesk’s AutoCAD in the CAD software market. VersaCAD was notable for its early use on microcomputers, offering design and drafting capabilities that were previously available only on larger, more expensive systems. The competition between VersaCAD and AutoCAD during the early years of CAD software development was significant in shaping the market and driving innovations in this field.

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