1 . What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur?
Steve Jobs called the Silicon Valley pioneer and the author of unique leadership and idea. From the Lisa to Apple I to the MacIntosh to the iPod, to the iPads, Jobs has come nearly close to achieving his goal, managing to make a name for himself in all of the business, entertainment (Steve Jobs became the CEO of PIXAR) and technological worlds. What did it take for him to get to the top?
Faith: Jobs didn’t always know what he was doing in life. A college dropout, many gave up on him and had little faith in his abilities. But, Jobs didn’t give up on himself. He continued pursuing avenues that he found interesting, trusting that in the end it would be more meaningful and even perhaps useful. He soon learned that everything in his life, even the most terrible things, seem to happen for a reason and he is now able to place a certain amount of trust in the uncontrollable.
Passion: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work,” says Jobs. From his first days working at his father’s workbench, Jobs knew that his future lay in the creation of things. It wasn’t until he met Wozniak in 1968 that he knew what those things were – personal computers. They first set their company in the garage of Steve Wozniak’s father. Despite failures such as Apple III and being fired from the company he helped found, Jobs managed to come back out on top because he knew that he didn’t want to devote his life to anything but his passion.
Determination: He kept his eyes and ears open and had the courage to seize new opportunities as they came along. Whether risky or outright foolish, Jobs was from then on out determined to follow his intuition in guiding his business decisions.
Innovation: When other CEOs were focusing on sales and financing, Jobs was concerning himself with the next big thing. Personally meeting with suppliers and suppliers’ suppliers, Jobs made it his top priority to keep on top of the next frontier. By filling his company with only the brightest of people, Jobs continues to work towards ensuring Apple a place at the top of the market for years to come.
Vision: An open mind and the ability to put new twists on old techniques was one of the key distinguishing factors between Jobs and his competitors. From cute and utilitarian ads to those that appealed to counterculture rebellion, Jobs’ vision was integrated into every aspect of the company’s strategy. If you dreamed of changing the world, then Jobs was out to prove any way he could that you needed an Apple computer to do it.
Good Communicating Skills and charisma: Steve Jobs has the charm and ability to convince people. Mr. Jobs has the power to convince investors to have their partnership with him to make a good business production and convinced people that they need his products. On top of that he makes himself presentable in front of other people by cutting his hair off, shaving his beard and wearing business suites.
Management: As I’ve seen in the movie Steve Jobs was not the main inventor but his high school friend Steve Wozniak. Even though he is not really the main inventor of their product he manages to take their business into the next level. Good management is very important in a company and Steve Jobs did a great job in managing Apple.
Cleverness: Without this, Steve Jobs could not think innovative ideas to make great products that would help people’s lives made better.
Resourceful: As Bill Gates said in the movie “You and I are both like guys who had this rich neighbor—Xerox—who left the door open all the time. And you go sneakin’ in to steal a TV set, only when you get there, you realize I got there first. And you’re yelling? That’s not fair? I wanted to try and steal it first!”.Bill Gates refers to the Lisa computer and Macintosh, this are the computers which are inspired by XEROX Alto. XEROX Alto is the computer with the mouse and graphic interface and that the Apple team viewed during a tour of Xerox PARC during the late 1970s. Steve Jobs use his neighboring companies to developed great products with the help of his team.
Perfectionist: Steve Jobs able to create a small team with top talents, which creates new products that could satisfy the needs and demands of the consumers. He wants that every detail of the product that his company made is perfect. He wants greatness in all the products. Because of his perfectionism many of employees strives or pushes their very best too meet Steve Jobs standards and you don’t able to meet that standard, he will not hesitate to fire you.“Jobs perfectionism is seen through his vision of the company being not only a competitor, but the company which brings killing innovations into people’s homes: he supposes that killing products bring killing profits.” (Benezra & Gilbert, 2002).
Lastly, he chose to be an employer than an employee which he successfully accomplished. He has what it takes to be a leader or a “Boss”. He is determined to develop new products and make them popular to among consumers. Mr. Jobs does not think just inside the box but far beyond and he is very focus on what he was doing.
If there are successes there are also failures. The following are the factors contributed to failure of Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs treatment towards his employees. Mr. Job sees his employees as pirates or robots rather. Why, because he makes them work beyond their limitations (physical limitations).As I’ve seen in the movie, many of his employees are very exhausted because they are all lack of sleep and if Steve Jobs does not like their work, he just pull off the plug of the computer and start talking, shouting and saying hurtful words to his worker as if they don’t do anything right. He does not listen, he has bad temper and because of this, many employees got fired. Good relationship between employer and employees is important. Everyone needs each other to make the business grow and developed. Steve Jobs forgotten where he started and he even ignores the people who help him make it to the top. And lastly karma, Karma comes in two ways the good karma and the bad karma. Because Steve Jobs stole the idea of XEROX Company’s computer with mouse and graphic interface the Apple Company make it to the top and the leading technology-based company of that time. Then the failure comes when the product that Steve Jobs stole from XEROX Company was stole by Bill Gates. And made Bill Gates the richest man in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_Silicon_Valley
2. How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?
Me?! As a technopreneur!…. as I first heard this word, I do not have the idea what is it all about. What is technopreneur?…hmmm, technopreneur is an entrepreneur who use technology to develop his business. Techpreneurs dares to be different and take the unexplored ways in making business. They take every challenge that comes in their way and strive to lead their life with great success. They are not afraid to take risks and sometimes failure. Instead, they take failure as a learning experience. As my mind enlightened what is a technopreneur. I was convinced that someday I want to be one of them, a successful one. Yes! To be successful, in a morally upright manner, I don’t want to steal the work of others just to be on the top – like in the movie. I want to do things without taking advantage to others. I want to use my creativeness, determination, imagination and vision in making my own products.
My eagerness to be one of them grows when I saw the movie in titled “The Pirates of the Silicon Valley”. The movie thought me that anyone can be successful in their chosen field or kind of business. Technoprenuers continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy.
Technology and entrepreneurial skills are driving many economies to prosperity. The most famous of them all is, Bill Gates, who makes Microsoft a household name all over the world. Steve Jobs – well known for his innovations. iPod – most carried gadget by young population(this two famous technopreneurs are the main cast of the movie “The Pirates of the Silicon Valley”). Look at the success of Google – brain child of Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Who don’t know Google?
Technopreneurship is not a product but a process of synthesis in engineering the future of a person, an organization, a nation and the world. In a digital, knowledge based society, strategic directions or decision-making processes will be demanding and complex. This requires tertiary level and professional development programs and training to produce strategic thinkers who will have the skills to succeed in a dynamically changing global environment. Traditional educational programs, however, lack the methodology to transform today’s students into creative, innovative, visionary global leaders who understand the importance of technopreneurship.
How can you be a successful technopreneur?
Putting up a business is always good for the economy. Entrepreneurship supplies new products and services to the market, increases competition, and generates jobs and expendable income. However, statistics show that start up businesses have a very low survival rate. A staggering 96 percent of businesses fail within their first ten years of operation.
As I read an article in a particular website, a young Filipino technopreneur Joey Gurango whose own early ventures into injection molding, a laser machine shop, door-to-door sales, and gourmet pizza deliveries many years ago failed to prosper. He is the Chief Executive Officer or CEO and founder and of software development startup WEBWORKS OS, a 50-person strong entrepreneurship that is cash-flow positive just a year after beginning operation. His last startup, Match Data Systems, was acquired by Great Plains for millions of dollars in 1999. Great Plains was itself acquired by Microsoft in 2001 and is today known as Microsoft Business Solutions.
First is a REAL ENTREPENEUR. The business needs an entrepreneur at its control. Someone who has the ability to create a clear vision, effectively communicate that vision to other people such as employees, investors and consumers and persistently pursuing that vision.
For example: You can’t just put up a business just because you know how to make that particular product or to do that kind of service. You have to make business plans or strategies that will help your business to develop and what are the real objectives of your business.
The Real Entrepreneur is the real thinker and designer of industry. The Real Entrepreneur is not scared of money or wealth, as I stated above, they are not to take challenges and they have the determination to pursue what they want. The Real Entrepreneur focuses on what generates results. They seek out training, support and network with others in their industry and take classes in order to keep moving ahead. The Real Entrepreneur have a strong sense of what they have to say or show themselves in order to produce the kind of results they desire. The Real Entrepreneur does not only have daily plans, they also have life plans or long term plans because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, so you better have that kind of plan for the future of your business. Real Entrepreneurs work in teams. They shared their knowledge and they are not afraid to delegate.
As an entrepreneur you must have clear objectives and clear strategy that will make your products efficiently produced and distributed.
The second one is WHEN TO START A BUSINESS”I don’t believe that there is ever a bad time to start a business – butts you must carefully consider prevailing business conditions in order to position your product or service properly and increase your chances of succeeding.” Joey calls this taking advantage of the “wave.” A “wave” is a movement or trend that sweeps businesses in a common direction. In the movie, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates do not consider at what time to start a business. What they do is they mull over the facilities and resources they have and start a business using those, they made products that every individual could benefit and offer it to the public.
Last but not least is to STAY COMMITTED TO THEIR VISIONS. Vision is what you want your company to be. Sticking to your visions is not very easy. There are times that your company or business is experiencing difficulties and keeping those visions is very hard to attain. There will be moments that you have to use personal money to keep the business operating.
By sticking to your visions you are also keeping your missions and goals for your business.
References:
(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/369728/what_is_technopreneurship.html?cat=3)
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/170331
http://www.squidoo.com/2bearealentrepreneur
3. Would you take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?
Taking the same career path like Steve Jobs was not that easy. But still, I will strive to be a good technopreneur like him. I will take the risks and consequences of being a technopreneur. Every one of us has an aim to work and earn money from their hard work. Just like Steve Jobs I will not stop looking for new ideas and methods that would help create new products and services to make my company’s sales boost up.
I like the way he did in his business but it would be better if he treat his staff and employees as a human not a robot. I have read an article about an employee send a letter to the CEO of Apple John Scully (the former vice-president of Pepsi Cola, Steve Jobs told him once this quote “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”), it states in the letter that Steve Jobs is sometimes late in his business appointments, he doesn’t even listen to others, and has a bad temper.
Many colleagues describe Jobs as a brilliant man who can be a great motivator and positively charming. At the same time his drive for perfection is so strong that employees who do not meet his demands are faced with blistering verbal attacks that can eventually burn out even the most motivated of people. Jobs pushed his workers to the heights of unethical work conditions. Just like in the movie, he treats his employees like machines that have no limitations. If you are caught sleeping –well be ready to his sermons because he doesn’t care if you don’t have not sleep for 52 hours straight. All he cares is your work. Jobs’s drive for perfection often leads him to be ignorant to other people’s ideas. One ex-employee recalls how Jobs was demanding that, on principle, he would often reject anyone’s work the first time it was shown to him.
Steve Jobs is a great businessman but just like other people he has also that “dark side” and that would be not included in the career path that I have chosen.
Based on our economy at present, the best way to make money is through entrepreneurship but you can earn more if technology is part of your business. Technopreneurship is the key to earn money through technology. People are really struggling for survival but they don’t know that the stuffs that could save them from annihilation and broke is just beside them. Yes just beside them, they only need a computer and an internet connection. That’s how amazing it is. And worst of it lots of people don’t see this stuff and have no plan for their future.
There are lots of offers in the internet, ranging from advertising to affiliate business to freelance writing and now how could you say it’s impossible to do. Well, it’s up with you, as many wise people say, “whether you think you can or you think you cannot, either way you’re right.” There are really lots of stuffs in the web that you could earn from. Or you would use anything that is a masterpiece of technology.
Technopreneur really helps this kind of situation. Why? Because when you start a business, you could hire your fellowmen as your employees and you can give job to them. So you help yourself to have a financial freedom and at the same time, you help other people and the economy of your country.
Just like Steve Jobs did, he made innovative idea of a personal computer led him into revolutionizing the computer hardware and software industry; he made technology as his business with the use of the resources around him. Steve Jobs made technology reached a whole new level. He Thinks Different .More than anyone else; Apple’s co-founder has brought digital technology to the masses. As a visionary, he saw that computers could be much more than drab productivity tools. Instead, they could help unleash human creativity and sheer enjoyment. A marketing genius, he conceived of elegant products that captured consumers’ imaginations. And as a relentless perfectionist, he came up with creations that actually delivered on their promise — raising the bar for rivals.
Even thought the circuitry and most of the software was Steve Wozniak’s work, but it was Jobs who made the key marketing decisions: to create a fully-assembled PC board, to name it after a fruit, to encase it in plastic and give it the look of a kitchen appliance, to invite venture capital funding, to hire a high-power public relations firm, to spend heavily on slick advertising, and to pitch it as a “personal computer.”.Because Steve Wozniak is not good in communicating with other people, he would rather face the circuit boards and other stuff than facing other people and exchanging conversations with them. Even if you have the skills and talent but if you are lack of self confidence then you cannot showcase how good you are in that filed. Because in business you must have that convincing power in order for you to sale the products to the public and attract investors and Steve Jobs has that kind of power.
Steve Jobs does not limit himself from computers and iPods. After get fired from the Apple Company by his friend and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Sculley.
Steve Jobs brought The Graphics Group, later named Pixar and became the CEO. The first film produced by the partnership of Pixar and Disney is the Toy Story. Afterwards, Disney purchased Pixar in an all-stock transaction making Steve Jobs the largest single shareholder of the company (The Walt Disney Company) and one of the board of directors. He is one of the prominent men in the industry of computers and entertainment. It only shows that you must not limit your capability of doing something new that can help to develop your skills as a technopreneur and your business, as well.
References:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_44/b3906025_mz072.htm
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