Mark Weiser and Xerox Xerox employee Mark Weiser wanted to make computers ubiquitous and wearable. However, the Xerox engineers didn't want smaller, sleeker computers - they wanted to build the fastest machines possible. Without their help, his ideas could not be developed.

Weiser's strategy was to embark on U.S.-wide lecture tours. He addressed college students and hired the enthusiastic ones that came up to him afterward to ask questions. Eventually, through their sheer numbers, his new hires changed the corporate culture within Xerox PARC.

In 1994, Weiser told Xerox that he wanted to set up a company to make his key chain computers. Anxious to retain his skills, Xerox granted him an indefinite technical leave of absence. It also provided $500,000 initial seed capital for his company, as well as office space.

Eventually, however, Weiser's seed money ran out and he couldn't secure additional private funding. Xerox came to his rescue again, agreeing to establish a new job position for Weiser. He would henceforth be Chief Technologist.

As well as computer science, Weiser's new research brief encompassed physics, linguistics, philosophy, and several other cross-disciplinary topics. He was given a discretionary budget and allowed to pick out projects that he felt were not securing the funding they deserved within the conventional Xerox structure.

Weiser was also given "phantom equity" in technology from his inventions that Xerox was licensing. This form of retaining employees is called a "spin-in". The company hires a consultant, who establishes a value for the internal business unit and the percentage of the "equity" the employees should be given.

Typically, employees receive the same equity as if their company was being venture capital-funded, that is, 25% for hardware and 40% for software companies.