1976-1986, 1986-1996, 1996-2006, 2006-2016 or 2016-2026?
Me favorite is 1986-1996. Not around for all of it but just incredible being there when building R opened
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I was at SAS from 1986 to 2021 and of the choices provided, I’d say 1986-1996, though I’m more tempted to choose simply the 1990s. Definitely nothing past 2001 for me. That’s when dread about irrelevance began to creep in, likely driven in part by the arrival of AB to leadership. What a little ray of sunshine he was.
I got a few good years in around that time when SAS reached #1 on the Fortune GPTW. After that it started to slide. The decline really picked up speed in the past 10 years. Ugh.
"software that people actually wanted to buy and depend on."
Hmmm, Viya has never gained traction in the marketplace. By extension, the answer to the OPs quest is that the best 10 years of SAS predate Viya.
JG built building C, then much of it was filled with supposed business people who in many cases were little more than overpaid window dressing. The focus shifted to that side of campus, and JG, who used to be actively involved in R&D became far less involved. Things became much more about image and “branding”.
The top geeks were often not bothered to be listened to. A few “top lieutenants” rose to power and remained in R&D, functioning as prototypical product management before we even had that as an official function. Several of these micromanaged stuff to death and refused to allow the rank and file to truly innovate. Everything became tightlipped and tight-assed.
I started at SAS in the mid 80s and things rocked until ~2005 when it steadily became more about business vanity than progressively innovating truly useful software that people actually wanted to buy and depend on.
"The best SAS years were prior to OS becoming CTO."
But do you remember the years where The Photographer was head of R&D, and those stream-of-consciousness missives he sent out all the time? That was one of my first hints that all didn't seem well.
The best SAS years were prior to OS becoming CTO. His later ascension to COO seemed to have been the inflection point that metasized the decline of SAS. OS had WAY too much ego coupled with WAY too little real world business acumen.
Generally that's not a recipe for a business to thrive. And here we are.
SAS will be around another 40 years. My manager told me so.
1976-1986. In 1987, JS left R&D to start JMP.
JS was not our only strong technical leader. But his leaving was a sign that R&D had become more about politics than technology.
The decline in revenues was delayed, but the politicization of R&D made it inevitable.
The first 30 years was very good. The last 18 years until now is quite a challenge. I can't imagine how much more difficult it will be for SAS in the next 5-10 years. Praying hard for SAS to survive.
1976-2006 were the best times. Everything is sliding down ever since 2007. SAS's 25th anniversary was the peak heyday for SAS in 2001. We all had a good time (KC and the Sunshine band) at that anniversary party and we all were so proud of SAS. Little did we know that just 6 years later things started slowing down bit by bit and then the sliding begins for SAS ever since. It makes me really sad because I grew up and old with SAS and love SAS. I don't want to ever see SAS disappear.
1986-1996
I started in 1997, so I’d have to say 1996-2006. Things really started going downhill after that though. Sad to see.