The HP Phenomenon
The HP Phenomenon tells the story of how Hewlett-Packard innovated and transformed itself six times while most of its competitors were unable to make even one significant transformation. It describes those transformations, how they started, how they prevailed, and how the challenges along the way were overcome—reinforcing David Packard's observation that "change and conflict are the only real constants." The book also details the philosophies, practices, and organizational principles that enabled this unprecedented sequence of innovations and transformations. In so doing, the authors capture the elusive "spirit of innovation" required to fuel growth and transformation in all companies: innovation that is customer-centered, contribution-driven, and growth-focused.
The corporate ethos described in this book—with its emphasis on bottom-up innovation and sufficient flexibility to see results brought to the marketplace and brought alive inside the company—is radically different from current management "best practice." Thus, while primarily a history of Hewlett-Packard, The HP Phenomenon also holds profound lessons for engineers, managers, and organizational leaders hoping to transform their own organizations.
"At last! The 'HP Way, that most famous of all corporate philosophies, has taken on an almost mythical status. But how did it really work? How did it make Hewlett-Packard the fastest growing, most admired, large company of the last half-century? Now, two important figures in HP's history, Chuck House and Raymond Price, have finally given us the whole story. The HP Phenomenon is the book we've been waiting for: the definitive treatise on how Bill and Dave ran their legendary company, day to day and year to year. It should be a core text for generations of young entrepreneurs and managers, a roadmap to building a great enterprise."—Michael S. Malone, author of Bill & Dave: How Hewlett and Packard Built the World's Greatest Company
"At last! The 'HP Way', that most famous of all corporate philosophies, has taken on an almost mythical status. But how did it really work? How did it make Hewlett-Packard the fastest growing, most admired, large company of the last half-century? Now, two important figures in HP's history, Chuck House and Raymond Price, have finally given us the whole story. The HP Phenomenon is the book we've been waiting for: the definitive treatise on how Bill and Dave ran their legendary company, day to day and year to year. It should be a core text for generations of young entrepreneurs and managers, a roadmap to building a great enterprise." —Michael S. Malone, author of Bill & Dave: How Hewlett and Packard Built the World's Greatest Company
"This is important history, compellingly told. House gives us a rare look into how Silicon Valley innovates, making this book a must-read for historian and entrepreneur alike." —Paul Saffo, Technology Forecaster
"This book is exceptional in its content, research, and strategic depth. The authors have lived the HP Culture, and the insights they bring to the super complex matter of product and business strategies in the late 1900s is amazing. The period of John Young had some of the most elusive decisions on computer operating systems one could ever imagine. They all become clear in this book." —John Minck, HP retired 1995 and author of Inside HP: A Narrative History of Hewlett-Packard from 1939-1990
"This magnificent book is so rich with detail and stimulation, so dense with data and opinion. It's not a book to be skimmed or cherry picked.there are just too many purported lessons to take away. It's a tour-de-force." —Bruce Abell, Santa Fe Associates International
"Chuck House has written one for the ages....Literally the Book of Genesis on Silicon Valley. The HP Phenomenon is both important and highly entertaining." —Michael Moe, Silicon Valley Entrepreneur and Investor, author of Finding the Next Starbucks
"The HP Phenomenon might well be the most important management book of the 21st century because it will stand alone as a testament to another way in a management world increasingly taken over by CPAs, MBAs, and financial administrators." —Don Hammond, Retired HP Laboratories Director
