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It's 1984 in one of the Spanish style buildings that define the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California.

It's 1984 in one of the Spanish style buildings that define the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California.

Sandy Learner knocks at the door of the school's Office of Technology Licensing.

The 29-year-old shifts uncomfortably. She's trying to look professional, but her feet are squeezed into a new pair of pumps.

Besides Sandy is her husband, Lan Bosack.

Cradled in his arms is a metal container about the size of a bread box.

Sandy and Lan both work at the university, running two of its computer labs.

But for the past two years, they've been developing the box Lan is holding. It's a new type of router.

Sandy knows it has enormous potential and wants to share the router with others.

But as it's been developed at the university, she needs Stanford's permission first.

The impatient Sandy is about to knock again.

When the door opens and the smiling chair of the Technology Office welcomes them in.

Hey, Lan, Sandy, come on in. How are you today?

He gestures for them to take a seat in front of his desk.

Sandy has no time for small talk. As far as she's concerned, this meeting is just a hoop to jump through.

So she launches into her pitch before anyone can stop her.

She's here to talk about a router. Lan and I and a few others have been developing it.

And it allows computers of all different makes and models to exchange data to talk to each other.

Yeah, yeah, I heard you were working on something. Is that it, Lan?

It's pretty small.

He gestures toward the metal box Lan has in his lap.

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