Yeah it's wild to me that they'd consider going with some first gen startup solution for what is ultimately their most important professional device. And it's starting at $2k so it's not like it's insanely cheap either.
Is there a way to dig up old GeoCities pages? My only thought is to remember the URL and get it from internet archive but I can't remember my 4 digit number. I think I was in the "Baja" area.
Most large tech companies require the manager to write some sort of a promo packet to be reviewed by a relevant committee. But it's not a mystery and ultimately it falls on the manager to put together a strong packet that makes it clear why the candidate should be promoted. The promotion attempt itself is the manager's vote. Beyond that it comes down to how strongly they champion for the candidate's promotion. It's the only way to ensure some consistency between promotions, IMO.
Let me generalize on your behalf: Cyclists are maniacs. They want to be given the equal respect of cars in traffic but absolutely don't follow the same rules.