At the time, marketing at GE had become what it still is at many companies, especially with businesses that do not sell directly to consumers: a way to launch a new product after it had already been developed. It consisted—if it existed at all—of advertising, trade shows, sales collateral, and publicity events. At worst, marketing was the place where washed-up salespeople went. But Jeff saw the potential—and the need—to use marketing in more proactive ways, probably because he had worked in marketing himself before going into sales.
