Tuesday, August 6

Pirates of the Silicon Valley Reflection

Posted by Unknown

After watching the movie "Pirates of the Silicon Valley",

1. What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur?
Steve Jobs is one of the most successful people or shall we say one of the most successful technopreneur in the world, a businessman, a designer and an innovator. He is best known as co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc., the biggest publicly traded company in the world and also the largest technology company in the world. Steve Jobs was widely recognized as the pioneer of the personal computer revolution and earned its legacy from his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics field. The success of Steve was a great piece of history that is incomparable. Like all successful stories of great and successful individuals in their particular field of success there lie all the hardships, struggles and tests in life.

There are many factors that affected to the success of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur. Steve Jobs has a great knowledge and insights on business and he knows the bests and worst things that could happen in his company. He saw the future that would lead them to become successful in the world of computer industry and in business particularly. He knows computers and how to design it to become more presentable and marketable in the public. He showed the true examples of what and how to be excellent in order to success. When he first started, several factors contributed to his success. He had already studied computers, known them well and learned how to create them, in which, requires technical skills such as analyzing the product requirements to create a design, control the operations of equipments or systems, and writing computer programs for various purposes. However, Jobs didn’t do all the work in technical field; in fact, he was a lot greater in dealing business to others.
Jobs almost got all what it takes to be an excellent business man. He took the role of the leader, full of passion in making their product be renowned to all. He organized his team well, even grouping them into different teams. He took responsibility and ownership over the company. He has this unique way of leading the group to achieve excellence, like forming different teams that would compete who’s going to be the best and most of all, he could communicate effectively which drove  people’s curiosity to take a look at their products. Jobs had the ability to speak clearly, persuasively, and convincing enough in front of the audience. He was confident and could speak effectively and tell people all about their products in a very effective and very comprehensive manner. Steve Jobs has a very high spiritual character that did not know what the word impossible means. He always thinks that he can surpass his enemies in business and he could always excel in them and that he thinks he could do more. He always sees the world as a very competitive industry. He always thinks that he can get the things that he wants even if there are obstacles that are blocking in his way to achieve it. He was indeed an excellent speaker to anyone he talked to. He can manipulate people with talks so that they cannot say “no” to him. That’s why Steve Wozniak liked him very much. When Steve Wozniak finished his own computer Steve Jobs made it sold to the businessman even though he is not wearing a formal attire to attract his clients he made them agree of what they had been discussed in the agreement.
He is very passionate in everything he does and in what he wants to do; he loves the way he does things and the things he is doing. Because in growing such a huge business like Apple Computers you should know how to love your job so that the job itself will love you back. He always thinks that nothing is impossible and always thinks that he can make everything happen accordingly with his plan and methods. He has this wide imagination that can create objects that no one can visualize. Like the one of the scene in the movie when he was in the state of being dosed with drugs that he imagined himself as being the conductor at the orchestra in the middle of the grass field that his friends have wondered if his is out of his mind and making his own world that nobody could even possibly see. Steve Jobs always thinks that he can overcome the things that he already accomplished and make a new one that have new features that everyone will like. He always thinks that a businessman can achieve his goals by innovating the things that he already done. In that way you can figure out the things that you would change and what would you don’t want to change. Jobs was a good leader, but he was missing something. He got full of himself and left his comrades hanging. He forced them to do their work even though they already worked hard and pushed them to their limits. He divided his team, resulting into war between the members of the company. He wanted everything to work within his hands. But because of this, everything was ruined. He got fired from his company and went back to zero.
Jobs’ attitude caused him his downfall. He got a taste of his own medicine and went through the darkest hours and the hardest times of his life. One moment he’s on top, another moment he’s down. He kept his hopes up and became positive as always on everything he does and to himself. However, it didn’t became that successful but still struggled until he found someone who helped him in his new company. He was able to release the first and second generation, until his company was acquired by Apple. And with that, Jobs was back in Apple, the company he co-founded. I think one of the main reason of failures of Steve Jobs was that he trusted a particular person that he had only known little of that person, like the way he trusted Bill Gates to have his computer Lisa. And as a result he was being overcome by Bill Gates for just knowledge of how the computer Lisa works and steals the idea of making a computer with a graphical user interface feature so that it can be a user – friendly computer. And Steve Jobs knew it he was so angry to Bill Gates that made them to a serious fight in the world of computer industry.
Indeed, Jobs career life was a remarkable one. He worked his way to the top, strived hard, and attained temporary success, but because of his carelessness and being a self-centered person, he fell down. But those moments weren’t enough to pull him down to the bottom and made him unable to stand again. Instead, he made his failures as his lessons, and stood up for new beginnings. He realized he needed those awful medicines to be cured. He didn’t take his failure as a hindrance. Jobs took another step despite his hardships. And those things made him what he was. After everything he had been through, he was able to regain confidence and his goals to reach the success he always wanted which lasted until the final hours of his life.

2. How do you see yourself as a technopreneur? 
Technopreneurship is the combination of technology and entrepreneurship which means business through technology or by making a technology to become a business that will probably give you money. It deals with innovating technologies so that it can be useful to people and as well as to be a good thing in business, technopreneurs thinks technology as a different way to help the economy grow. Technopreneurs are always willing to take the challenges that will come, face it when it comes to their way along the road to success. They are not afraid of facing failures that will pull them down from reaching their goal to success; instead they will only think that failure as a stepping stone to achieve greater success.
For me, seeing myself as a technopreneur, I couldn’t really say that I am good technopreneur because I haven’t really tried to be one. I’m really not that type of person who would dig deeper in technical areas, and not also that type to communicate effectively to others. I may be an Information Technology Student but I don’t have enough knowledge and abilities needed to accomplish mathematical, engineering, or computer-related duties. Well, maybe I could do some for computer-related but not that enough. For this reason, it is quite difficult for me to see myself as a technopreneur, a few years from now. Maybe given the chance, I could learn how to be a good technopreneur or maybe not just good but an excellent one. But I couldn’t compromise myself to be one. This may be called self-downgrading, but still, it can be called as being true to myself. I can say these kinds of things because, so far, I haven’t seen myself do things which could match up as a technopreneur, this technopreneur thing is new to me, that is why I was so excited when I enrolled this subject. At any rate, thinking of being a technopreneur would be magnificent.  It’s like, having the same path to those successful technopreneurs who invented computers which are widely used today. And due to the fact that our modern age leaves within technology, it would be quite easy for technopreneurs to handle, find business in technology and make the company earn money and be successful.
Aside from that, technologies would continue to develop and the legacy will continue until the next generation. If I would be one of them, I would gladly take part of the opportunity to make the world see the beauty that technology brought us.            I still don’t have a proof relating to myself that I would be able to do it, either be not be able in doing it. But this doesn’t mean, I can’t do anything, I know I can do things on my own If I will strive hard enough, I believe in myself and in what I can do. If I could be one of the technopreneurs, I think I would be able to help in developing and innovating. With all the technologies we have, I could come up with something that would be worthy enough to be part of the technologies present today. Even so, I could start by working into companies which could be a stepping stone for my success. But as I think deeper about it, being a technopreneur is not that far, though it’s not that near, complicated isn’t it? It just seemed like, a person just have to acquire skills and the right knowledge which could be used as stepping stone and would basically help in succeeding. By watching the movie “Pirates of the Silicon valley” I have learned a lot about what to have and what should be your ideals in order to succeed as an entrepreneur. It was indeed a great movie, specially when it is about one of histories most successful and interesting life stories. It taught me that to be able to succeed, one does not simply going to be an excellent artist in your field but to be a wise one as well. Bill Gates showed the characteristic of a very wise man, that is why in the end he was the most successful and the wealthiest man.

3. Would you take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? Why or why not? 
            Am I going take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? then my answer would be yes, if and only if I have the same level of thinking capacity and knowledge with Steve Jobs. What Steve Jobs has done and contributed in our society is very vital, beyond greatness and is very great. He has a very broad and creative imagination that anyone couldn’t easily think of. But if given a chance to make history I would like to become next Steve Jobs that is not contended of all the ideas I have now and keep searching for new and creative ideas that can make people lives simpler and improve our everyday living. I will keep on finding solutions or methods that would help solve the problems in the society with the help of my innovative innovations and products.
            Many people looked up and appreciated what Steve Jobs had made in order to develop the computer industry on the world. Steve Jobs did an excellent job in his company. His success was beyond comparison to anybody. However, if the question about career talks about how Jobs moulded his company, and how he invented amazing gadgets, then I would say yes. It’s not like it would actually happen exactly as how it happened to Steve Jobs life. Yes, I know, an ordinary IT student like me could never ever do something like that. I haven’t thought of myself involving with those stuffs, maybe because, in reality I’m more of a consumer than an inventor. Besides, I don’t have those amazing skills and charismatic aura that could lure investors and business man. But the thought of doing what he had done would be the greatest thing that I have ever done in my entire life. Just the thought of people appreciating what you had done means a lot, how much more would it be if it was a thing, everyone adored and looked up to you, and if it was something everyone would want to have. Yes, I would definitely take the same path. Moreover, if the question about the career path talks about how Steve Jobs attained his success, then I would also say yes. Just like average people, Jobs wasn’t that lucky enough to immediately reach the top. Yes, when he first tried it, he had minor struggles but then he had been outstanding. In a period of time, he had been able to establish a company. But fate should teach him lesson that’s why, due to some circumstances, he had a fall down. It was like; a wave washed away the newly built sand castle. It was his greatest failure which caused his life to turn upside down. Though Steve did some wise, tricky and dirty tricks or strategies to attain his success, its still a yes, I would also probably gonna do that, I think its part of the business. Being always fair to everyone will not gonna make you reach the top, I think being wise and doing dirty tricks is part of the strategy in life in order to gain success. I am willing to grab opportunities if they were available just like what he did, and if those opportunities were not available, he always finds a way to make opportunities for himself. But then, no one can blame him, Jobs was just a human being, had flaws and experienced the ups and downs of life. He was blinded with power that he forgot what he had. But what makes him a man is that he had unwanted things, which later on, he realized was important. But even so, he continued to struggle despite the fact that what he had experienced could cause depression and embarrassment. Instead of sulking, and blaming himself, he gradually started a new beginning. What’s best about him is that, he didn’t lose hope, and gained more confidence from those mistakes. He acted like nothing happened. He didn’t make it affect his life. He took the failure as an awful medicine which he realized; he had to take in, for him to take a bigger step. He even thought to himself that his failure was the best thing that ever happened to him and he was thankful of it. I, myself, had experienced the ups and downs in life, had my success and failures not only in academics but also in several things. I had experienced embarrassments and had memories which I would want to forget. Sometimes, I would wish for a time machine for me to patch things up. But as I grow up, I realized, those experiences, those memories, are meant to happen. It happened for a reason. It happened because it would teach me important lessons. The kind of path where Jobs took is the most possible path I could follow, based from the reality and not just certain imagination. I would want to be like him, where he was just nobody, turned into somebody, had a major breakdown, but eventually stand on his feet. I like Jobs’ undying determination and eagerness to success in life. I admire him, all of his positive characteristics and even some of his negative characteristics. What I don’t like about him is that he’s a very short tempered person and he doesn’t have mercy or even care at the people around him. He yells at them like they were deaf. I hate that attitude of him. Also, I don’t want to follow his attitude where he trusts to people so easily. I don’t want to make the same mistake he did in his life. He was betrayed so easily because he trusted so easily and I don’t want that kind of situation to ever happen in my life. I’m a very careful person at everything I do and everything that I don’t do. I don’t trust people so easily, for me, they must earn my trust because it is very precious especially when you are dealing with business and that involves money. Money is the source of almost all evil so you must be very careful.
It is the same when Steve Jobs faces all his challenges in life along with the success that he always keeps to maintain a good personality that he can be. But, aside all of those things I really wanna take the path that Steve Jobs took, the path to success. Though struggles and hardships may come, just like him, I will not quit and I will always strive hard, never give up and stand up whenever I go down. Life’s tough, but you got to live it to the fullest. Because nothing is impossible to a person that always think positive and always striving hard to achieve their goals in life. So if someone will ask me if I would take the same career path of Steve Jobs then my answer is yes, why not? Because if I am worthy of having the success of being a technopreneur then I should be proud of myself for making my dream come true and making my goals being achieved.

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