Probably understanding people.
Do you realize that we grew up in the heart of the depression?
And we hired people, not because they had the technology, but because they worked. And these people worked hard, and we wanted to share our profits with them. HP was one of the first companies that offered profit sharing to its employees.
We cared about our employees. We really did. It’s not about the money. It’s about showing them that you care. And that can mean giving them a blanket when a new child enters their home, or helping them when they are in dire need, or whatever.
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For instance, we had these employee picnics with 7,000 people.
And, Dave and I would help serve the food. And, there was one guy who always complained that the food was too well done.
So, we decided to serve him up some shoe leather. ( They laughed. )
He came back and told us that that was the best food he’d ever had. ( More laughter. )
How were you able to handle family life while working at HP?
Well, my first wife had a scientific background, so many of our conversations drifted over to science. I’ve got five wonderful children, and a dozen grandchildren. And, one day, my wife asked me, “Do you realize how much teaching goes on over dinner?”
But, even though I did work very hard, I tried to spend as much time with my family as possible.
Someone made the comment that entrepreneurs find it very difficult to work at HP because of the emphasis on a team environment. How do you feel about that?
That’s true. It’s unfortunate, but true. We’ve got some very good people in there, but they just do not fit the pattern.
Do you think that hurts the company at all?
Sure, but it also strengthens it tremendously. When a young guy comes in, he learns about the company a lot quicker because people are willing to spend time with him and help him, and that ultimately helps the company.
How important is integrity in the startup process?
Absolute. Without it, a company is sure to fail.
What kind of advice can you give people like us when starting a company?
Ultimately, you have to get each employee on the team. If they are on the team, your company has a chance of success. And, if they are not, then the company will fail. And the best way to get them on the team is by showing them that you care.
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BILL HEWLETT
Let’s talk about your philanthropy. Your foundation and you personally have given a substantial amount of money to various charities. How important is that for companies to do?
Well, when we became successful, we had a lot of money, but for years we acted as if we didn’t have it. Our children all went to public high school and were raised like any other children. We tried to deemphasize wealth. But, we also looked at the problems that the world faces and felt that we could use the money to serve some purposes very well. Now, this was personal wealth. In regards to companies, if they can afford it, then they really should have philanthropic programs, because I think it adds to the community. But not if it is going to break them.
Finally, one of the comments that was made by one of our professors as we were writing this book was that it was all luck. Do you believe that?
Well, it’s not all due to luck, but certainly a large percentage of success is. We were in the right place at the right time. We were lucky, and had wonderful teachers and mentors. HP didn’t start in a vacuum. There was a lot of research in the area. And we learned from a tremendous number of people.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
RAMA DEV JAGER is an MBA graduate of Stanford University Graduate School of Business, which is internationally renowned as a think tank for the high-tech world. Also a medical school graduate (Northwestern University), Jager has combined his medical and technological experience to form EMCard, a health care information technology company that provides hospitals and doctors with complete patient profiles loaded into a microchip on a disk the size of a credit card. He lives in San Francisco.
RAFAEL ORTIZ holds an MBA degree from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Now an assistant professor at Stanford, he is also developing Apple Computer’s new network architecture. Ortiz lives in San Francisco.
Copyright 1997 Rama D. Jagar and Rafael Ortiz. Click Here for Terms of Use.
Document Outline
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. STEVE JOBS
2. T. J. RODGERS
3. GORDON EUBANKS
4. STEVE CASE
5. SCOTT COOK
6. SANDY KURTZIG
7. JOHN WARNOCK/CHARLES GESCHKE
8. MICHAEL DELL
9. CHARLES WANG
10. BILL GATES
11. ANDY GROVE
12. TRIP HAWKINS
13. ED MCCRACKEN
14. KEN OLSEN
15. BILL HEWLETT
About the Author
In the Company of Giants Page 27