The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company

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

All major computing companies have a set of myths, legends and facts that collectively form a unique mystique, but that of Hewlitt-Packard(HP) is truly different from the rest. Some of the unusual aspects of that mystique came to the forefront when the merger between HP and Compaq was reaching the final stages. One of the children of a founder launched a lawsuit against the merger because, among other things, it would lead to large number of layoffs, and that was "not the HP way." Good corporate citizenship and care for the workers are fundamental principles laid down and practiced by Bill Hewlitt and David Packard as they grew from a garage to a multi-billion dollar company. This book is the story of that growth in the words of one of the founders. It is a tale of challenges, management strategies that were and still are unusual, corporate honesty (imagine that as a management strategy), opportunities seen and tenaciously pursued, occasional mistakes, but always remaining focused on success. The strategy of management by walking around is still one of the most successful tactics that can be used to manage people. Even a few minutes spent observing and conversing with an employee can show you more than any above the fray approach could possibly do and is an incredible morale booster for the entire staff. Over the years, I have heard many of the stories associated with HP, and after a time, began relegating some of them into the area of company "myth." However, after reading this book, I came away even more impressed with Bill Hewlitt and David Packard. Books on how to manage companies are far too numerous to mention and many are thick enough to be of use to a bodybuilder. Small enough to be lifted by a toddler, this book contains more practical knowledge about how to start and manage a company than the majority of the heavyweights.

Exciting and callenging... as I define Bill and David lives. A fantastic example of a process centered organization. Customer oriented, flexible, innovating and above all with a great confidence in its people, this is HP. This handbook could be very useful for who wants to build a company using the most innovating way and vision.No more words... enjoy it!

I have worked for Hewlett-Packard for six years. I find the stories explaining why the HP culture is in the existing way. In HP, we can use those stories as role model for how HP works. Therefore, I highly recommend HP staff to read this. In case that you are non-HP, you may need to read it several times before appreciating the HP culture.

David Packard writes a very candid portrait of how he and his partner Bill Hewlett built HP out of a garage, a little like Apple was created a generation later. Wonderful history.