Consulting engagement with Bruce Sylvester (metallurgical services)

Origin story — how Tom became a consulting metallurgist circa 1979, replacing David Holt, doing 500 failure analyses a year. Used to motivate "failure analysis is how you learn."

Baker testing now exists, but I was — I'd been hired in by Bruce Sylvester to replace David Holt. I heard that they needed a metallurgist, and I needed some consulting. So I went down to interview with Bruce, about 1979 maybe. Bruce says, "Well, I'm paying Dr. Holt ten dollars an hour but I'd be willing to pay you fifteen." And I said, "Well right now I consult for fifty an hour, but I'd be willing to work for you for forty if you've got a lot of work." He says, "I'm going to keep looking — when could you start?" And I said, "Start right now if you want." He says he'll continue to look for another metallurgist, but he'll pay me forty an hour, because he had a month's worth of backlog. So I knocked out three reports, left them on his desk when I left that evening. I come back two days later to finish some more, and he comes in and says, "Well, I read your reports and I've decided I'm not going to look for another metallurgist. I'll pay you forty."