Mickey Mantle (the other one) on Developing for the First Engineering Workstations

We catch up with Mickey W. Mantle and trace how early computer graphics hardware and software paved the way for modern CAD workstations, 3D visualization, and engineering design tools. Along the way, we talk candidly about chaotic product cultures, what good engineering management looks like, and how AI is changing both code and careers faster than most teams can track. • Mickey and I at IMSI. He came from Broderbund. • Why IMSI felt like the hardest job and what global teams demand • Lessons from How to Manage Unmanageable Groups and building without specs • AI hype, LLM limits, and why physical AI matters for engineering • The University of Utah’s outsized role in computer graphics history • Evans & Sutherland workstations, early CAD customers, and real-world use cases • The vector-to-raster shift and how cost beat perfect lines • Digistar and the rise of digital planetariums and dome experiences • Pixar, Steve Jobs meeting dynamics, and what RenderMan unlocked • Vibe coding, maintainability risk, and advice for new developers