by Brian Ross
First published 2001
An e-commerce manager at a century-old Fortune 500 company watches the Internet hype reach fever pitch in August 1999. His firm scrambles to establish its digital presence while consultants and entrepreneurs swarm around the New Economy goldmine. He witnesses firsthand how these players actually operate when cameras stop rolling and press releases end. The manager documents his company's struggle to adapt traditional business practices to the online world. Moments of absurdity punctuate genuine shock as he observes the gap between public promises and private behavior. His account captures both the comedy and chaos of a pivotal moment when established corporations rushed to reinvent themselves. The story reveals the human cost of technological transformation and the emotional toll of chasing digital profits while abandoning proven methods.
Genres: fiction, business, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corporate-culture, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Fortune 500
Period: 1999
180 pages · Paperback · iUniverse