In "The New New Thing," Michael Lewis highlights the rapid rise of wealth among technology entrepreneurs, contrasting the timelines of Microsoft and Netscape. He notes that it took Microsoft a considerable twelve years to generate its first wave of millionaires, illustrating a more gradual path to success for larger companies historically. This long development period indicates the initial challenges that larger tech companies faced before realizing substantial financial gains.

In contrast, Netscape achieved a much quicker turnaround, with the emergence of millionaires occurring just a year and a half after its inception. This significant difference underscores the fast-paced nature of the internet boom and the dramatic shift in how technology companies could create wealth in shorter timeframes. The swift rise of Netscape symbolizes the changing landscape of the tech industry during that era.