Where I’m Coming From
Compiled by Forrest Preece
Randy Groves
Retired Tech Executive
- What’s something about you that not many people know?
In the summer of 1996, I briefly met Seymour Cray (founder of Cray Computer who started the supercomputer industry). He was killed in a car accident a couple of months later. This was during the time when everyone was worried about Japan dominating all of our strategic industries, with supercomputing being one of them. Congress established a committee to assess this threat. At the time, I was working at IBM HQ and was selected to be IBM’s representative to speak to the committee in DC. I was sitting outside the conference room chatting with Forest Baskett from Silicon Graphics and John Mashey from MIPS waiting for them to call us in (this was the first time I had met the two of them in person, as well). Finally, the door bursts open and out comes Seymour who apparently got his own private interview with the committee. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to talk to him as we were being called into the conference room. The three of us looked at each other sheepishly now knowing that we were the second string.
- What was your first job?
First summer job was stocking shelves at one of our local grocery stores (they gave me the “glass” aisle -- condiments, salad dressings, pickles, sauces, etc. Only had one “accident.”
First full-time job after college was as an electrical engineer for IBM at their federal contract facility in Manassas, VA (while my wife Deb worked up on Capitol Hill). I worked on projects for submarine sonar.
- If you could have dinner with three people – dead or alive, at any time in history—who would they be?
Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, John Wooden.
- If you had to pick three musicians for a playlist, who would they be?
Kansas, Radiohead, Steely Dan
- Favorite book and TV show?
“Lord of the Rings” trilogy (followed closely by the “Foundation” series by Asimov)
Comedy - “Cheers” (followed closely by “Big Bang Theory,” “Ted Lasso,” and “The Muppet Show")
Drama - “West Wing” (followed closely by “Columbo” and “Better Call Saul”)
Sci-Fi - “Battlestar Galactica” (followed closely by “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Lost”)
- Most powerful movie you have seen.
“Blade Runner” - Roy Batty’s “Tears in rain” speech gets me every time. Another AI-relevant one is “Her” which has been getting a lot of attention thanks to ChatGPT and Scarlett Johansson. I also have to mention “Casablanca” here, too, so that you know I’m not only into Sci-Fi.
“Powerful" is also situation dependent like “Toy Story 3” coming out my daughter Everly’s senior year just before we became empty-nesters. Or watching “Father of the Bride” after Everly got engaged.
- Favorite place in Austin?
Lady Bird Lake/Zilker Park - between running and attending music events, I probably spend more time here in a year than anywhere besides home.
- Favorite restaurant and watering hole
Both are probably Wink, but we almost never go there just to drink. So, the watering hole would now be “Neighborhood Vintner.”
- What did you want to be when you were growing up?
An astronaut/scientist. (I had no idea there was a career called Engineering, which was a much better fit for me by applying science to solve problems.)
- Which living person do you most admire?
Bill Snyder -- former head football coach for Kansas State. He is just an amazing human being and has positively impacted so many young men’s lives. He also saved K-State from getting kicked out of the Big 8 for which the University and the State of Kansas are eternally grateful.
- What makes you happy?
I’m happiest when I’m learning something new.
- Best advice you ever received?
My kids will debate this, but when I was being recruited by Dell as a 21-year veteran of IBM, the Sr. Vice President who was recruiting me said, “You know, if you don’t leave now, you never will.” Not everything turned out positive from that decision, but I had a much richer technology career and experience than if I had made the “easy” decision to stay.
