High Stakes, No Prisoners is a hard hitting, insider’s account of the Internet tools company Vermeer Technologies and the subsequent sale of the company to Microsoft just two years later for $133 Million.

Vermeer Technologies was a company setup in 1994 by the author and Randy Forgaard to develop a web development tool called Frontpage (now known as Microsoft Frontpage and bundled with Microsoft Office).

Ferguson begins by explaining his idea, his background and his low opinion of most incumbent high technology companies circa 1994. His tale explains the early origins of the commercial Internet and sheds light on the Microsoft’s delay in reacting to the challenger Netscape and Microsoft’s eventual dominance of the Web browser market.

High Stakes, No Prisoners lives up to its name, no prisoners are taken, the author is brutal is his criticism of his colleagues, associates, venture capitalists, key industry figures related to the story and himself. For anyone starting a new high tech, high growth company, there are many lessons to be found in his harsh analysis of the mistakes made.

It is a fascinating insight into the early adoption of the commercial Internet, the war for Web browser market share and the subsequent antitrust investigation faced by Microsoft.

If you’re thinking of starting, a high technology business or seeking venture capital the insights and experiences of the author may well prove useful. For the rest of us it provides a clearer understanding of the hype that went on to fuel the dot com bubble.

You can buy it from Amazon UK or Amazon USA.

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