| The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company (Collins Business Essentials) |  | Author: David Packard
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
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Rating:  23 reviews
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.8 x 0.7
ISBN: 0060845791
Dewey Decimal Number: 338.761004165
EAN: 9780060845797
ASIN: 0060845791
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
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Amazon.com Review
In a dry fashion, Packard tells the true story of the mighty Hewlett-Packard Company: Two college buddies begin a partnership by producing an audio oscillator in a Palo Alto garage in 1938 and wind up 60 years later with a $25-billion-dollar electronics company on their hands. He wraps the book up tidily with a timeline of the company's development milestones. Packard chalks up success to many things, including government contracts during wartime, but mostly to the company's management outlook ("The HP Way"), which champions openness, honesty, and flexibility throughout the organization. Entrepreneurs and technologists alike will be interested in this journey of an American giant. Packard's tone sometimes veers toward the self-congratulatory, but in this case, it somehow seems justified.
Product Description
Much more personal than standard corporate histories, David Packard's The HP Way provides insights into managing and motivating people and inspiration for would–be entrepreneurs. This bestselling classic joins the Collins Business Essentials line–up with a new Note from Steve Jobs. From a one–car–garage company to a multibillion–dollar industry, the rise of Hewlett–Packard is an extraordinary tale of vision, innovation and hard work. Conceived in 1939, Hewlett–Packard earned success not only as a result of its engineering know–how and cutting–edge product ideas, but also because of the unique management style it developed – a way of doing things called 'the HP way'. Decades before today's creative management trends, Hewlett–Packard invented such strategies as 'walk–around management', 'flextime', and 'quality cycles'. Always sensitive to the needs of its customers and responsive to employee input, Hewlett–Packard earned massive steady growth that far outshone its competitors' vacillating fortunes, even with radically different products from those responsible for its initial boom. For entrepreneurs and managers alike, the wisdom found in these pages is invaluable if they want their businesses to gain steady growth and consistent success.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
Fascinating account of how two college friends started HP out of a garage March 27, 2008
Blaine Greenfield (Belle Meade, NJ)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Heard the recorded version of THE HP WAY: HOW BILL
HEWLETT AND I BUILT OUR COMPANY by David Packard
I found it fascinating to learn how these two college friends decided
to start their own company in 1939 out of a one-car garage in Palo
Alto, California (that has now become a historic landmark: the
birthplace of Silicon Valley) . . . from those humble beginnings,
Hewlett-Packard has grown to become one of the world's most
admired technology corporations.
What made this book stand out for me was the fact that in
learning about the HP history, you also found out what
Hewlett and Packard both did to make their company one where
employees would actually enjoy working at . . . they did
this by holding such beliefs as the following:
* A guiding principle at HP: Get the best people, stress
teamwork and get employees fired up to work there.
* Personal communication was often necessary to back up
written communication.
* Much of the success was from management by walking
around.
* Individuals need to be treated with consideration and respect.
* People need the challenge to be their best, to realize their
potential and to be recognized for their achievements.
* Personnel's job is to support management, not to supplant it.
* The betterment of our society is not a job to be limited to a
few; it is a responsibility to be shared by all.
After reading THE HP WAY, my only regret is that more organizations
don't get founded by such progressive thinkers as Bill Hewlett and
David Packard . . . though both dead, their legacies live in the
continuing success of the Hewlett-Packard Company.
 A must read classic because of the importance of HP to world business October 9, 2007
Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful business classic that should be read and studied by everyone interested in business. David Packard and Bill Hewlett created one of the great American companies and that alone is worth knowing. That it is one of the great foundations of Silicon Valley is another reason that you need to know this story. However, as far as I am concerned, the most important reason to know this story is the set of principles these two men used in founding, building, and running their company.
While they were technically brilliant men, they were also geniuses in gathering and grooming talent. However, their ability to inspire amazing loyalty in their employees is something that seems all but lost in our modern age of disposable firms and transient employment. They pioneered open plan offices (few walls and no doors), management by walking around, and much more. They had profit sharing from the very beginning. Not only did they have annual company picnics, they also bought a camp for use by employees. I know there are many reasons for the transition to where we are now, but I still have to ask if we really are better off today than we were then. Well, are we?
The stories about the development of various products are all interesting, but the stories are all in the service of illustrating the principles he is trying to get across. His emphasis on conservative financing is well aware of the use many companies make of leverage. The rejection of Wall Street's focus on the present quarter is heartfelt, and primacy of sound business principles and corporate culture resonate strongly in our time and its emphasis on simply winning in any way possible. The pictures also add to the story.
The recent book, "Bill & Dave" provides background material and fills in some of the gaps you will notice in reading this book, and I recommend it, as well. Still, this is the original and written by the man himself (well, by his staff with his supervision, right?) and deserves our attention.
A must read. Really.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
 A decent book but could have told more about the company December 20, 2006
Lehigh History Student
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Hewlett Packard is a now disgraced company that has severe problems to face in the future but this book will take you back to the HP of old. It tells how a printer company was developed to fill a need and the way in which they did business. I am normally not a fan of these books (The .... Way) but this one did a good job. It is short and to the point filling in the gap of an interesting company. It is worth a quick glance over if you are interested in the tech industry to see how a company should be run.
Nice guys sometimes win.... October 17, 2006
Constantine Spathis (New York, NY United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Bill Hewlett & Dave Packard were two nice guys who worked hard, played fair, and won. An interesting tale with some good homespun advice.
What Happened? October 5, 2006
Jeffrey Levine
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've read through this book 5 times and I don't recall the part where Mr Packard says to spy on the board of directors!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
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