Robert Brost Email & Phone Number

Spokane, Wa, Us

Spokane, Washington Area

PeTalk is the maker of the Laughing-Dog™ CD.

Incline Village, Nv

Independent computer consultant specializing in Apple Macintosh computer networks for small business and in embedded systems programing for color printers and professional video hardware.Major Contracts:Corporate Visions - Network Administration and Macintosh ConsultingGeneral Parametrics - Embedded Software for Color PrintersRGB Corporation - Embedded Software for Commercial Video EquipmentResilience - Software Engineering tools for fault tolerant multiprocessor

San Diego, Ca

In January 1981 one of the two co-owner’s of Datasystems wanted to “do it again” and asked me to join him as Executive Vice President and 50% co-owner of Systech Corporation. I was rested up by working at my recent corporate job at DatagraphiX so I returned to the hectic world of the small business entrepreneur. I effectively “doubled down” and taken the money I made at Datasystems and invested it in Systech.Our first mistake was to think that we could promote ourselves and no longer do the technical stuff. We initially contracted out the design of our “flagship product”. Then, with a mere two months before scheduled customer deliveries, our contractor told us he could NOT deliver the required design. We had to begin from scratch and I had to write the embedded software!Some say “necessity is the mother of invention“ and “when things get tough the tough get going“ and so to fulfill these universal truths (and save my financial ass) I had to make up for all the lost time consumed by the failed effort of the contractor. Systech did not yet have a hardware prototype; that was being redesigned as well. Systech did not yet have an Intel development system, we had to order one and wait six weeks for its delivery. So I took home a stack of yellow pads, a three hole punch, and a three ring binder with index tabs. In the course of 6 weeks I wrote 5000 lines of complex real-time assembly code on the yellow pads, 3-hole punched them and installed the pages in the three ring binder behind the appropriate index tabs. With two weeks remaining before the January deadline delivery of this product to our now impatient customers, the hardware prototype board arrived, the Intel development system arrived, and I sat down and entered and debugged the 5000 lines of Intel 8080 assembly code. After a couple of “all nighters” early in the new year, we shipped our “flagship” product and survived to live another day.

San Diego, Ca

Having taken my lumps now twice from small startup companies, I decided to take a temporary refuge as a wage slave for Corporate America. My first “real” job was at DatagraphiX in San Diego (a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation) where I led a software team in the design and implementation of high-speed, tape-based, offline, laser printer. The team used state-of-the-art software engineering methodology to code a real-time application written in Pascal running on a DEC PDP-11 mini-computer. As luck would have it, I met a co-worker at DatagraphiX who would became an angel investor in Datasystems. [KARMA ALERT: It is ironic, that in leaving my job as V.P. Operations at Datasystems, to return to my roots as a computer programmer at DatagraphiX, I was able to ensure the survival of Datasystems via this angel investor and his fellow long-time co-workers at General Dynamics.]I completed the release of my laser printer project at DatagraphiX about the time of Datasystems sale, so I bid farewell to DatagraphiX rather then re-enlist for the next project with them. Rumors were that I came into some money and retired to a tropical island.

San Diego, Ca

I next joined another startup company, Datasystems along with two of the co-founders of CMS and became a 20% owner of this enterprise. When Datasystems shifted its business model from a services supplier (in which I supplied customization services for mini-computer based accounting software) to a manufacturer of computer hardware, I began my second career as on entrepreneur and took the role of Vice President, Operations. The first inventory of electronic parts was held in the credenza behind my desk. I had to learn all about electronics manufacturing including: Bills of Material, purchasing, kitting, assembly, test, QA, and shipping. I abandoned by academic pursuits at San Diego State’s M.B.A. program to devote full time to this new endeavor and earn my degree from the "School of Hard Knocks".Datasystems grew to a company of about 25 people and I built out the factory and hired the staff. Datasystems’ president had strategically recruited the CEO of a Los Angeles electronics manufacturer of similar OEM products to serve on our Board of Directors. This relationship afforded me with mentors from his company to learn the electronics manufacturing business and it would ultimately provide Datasystems with a buyer. Since the LA company was a public company, an eventual path to liquidity was constructed. Since Datasystems was to be eventually acquired by a public company, I learned about the “window dressing” that is necessary for companies when they are to go public (or become acquired by a public company.) Since I was not formerly credentialed in Operations, (remember I never completed that M.B.A.) I was asked to leave so a properly credentialed person could be the head of Operations at the time of the sale (merger.) I remained on the Board of Directors and retained my 20% share of the company. I would eventually sell my stock and make $100,000 on a $2,000 investment of borrowed money!

San Diego, Ca

Fresh out of college, I joined a startup company, California Minicomputer Systems (CMS) as Chief Systems Programmer. CMS was a Data General mini-computer OEM in San Diego, and I was in charge of the software configuration of the customer computer systems. Alas, after 6 months time, CMS ran out of money and laid every body off. [KARMA ALERT: CMS was founded by a couple of fellow scouts who I met at the Explorer Post sponsored by CDC. I was a couple years their senior and mentored them while I was still in High School.]

San Diego, Ca

In the time tested role of apprentice I learned the craft of computer programming, customer service, and writing technical documentation in a part time job at a small computer center run by the Chemistry Department, at Revelle College, UCSD. [I also rubbed shoulders with a couple of neuroscience guys: Bud Tribble & Bill Atkinson who later became early employee’s of Apple Computer, Next Computer, & General Magic. Both were on the early Macintosh team at Apple under Steve Jobs. Bud Tribble followed Steve over to Next when he left Apple. Bill Atkinson is the inventor of MacPaint & Hypercard early applications on the Mac.]Weird Coincidence: The rooms on the Third Floor of Urey hall that housed the Chemistry Department Computer Center where I worked my part time job was the exact location of the old UCSD campus computer center that housed the Burroughs B5500 that I used while in Junior High School on weekends as an Explorer scout.

San Diego, Ca

Best Office View EVER: third floor corner office (ocean side) facing north at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography building, overlooking 200 foot cliffs above Black’s Beach, La Jolla, CA.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Computer Science, 3.3 Gpa

Activities and Societies: The best four years of my life! Graduated with Honors.

Business Administration, Finance

Incomplete M.B.A, Finance. Got the balance of my business education from the famed “School of Hard Knocks” by co-founding Datasystems.

Learned To Program In Fortran & Algol

Activities and Societies: Boy Scouts of America, Explorer Program The Explorer program gives young people the opportunity to learn.