The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company (Collins Business Essentials)

In 1930, David Packard left Pueblo, Colorado, to attend Stanford University, where he met fellow freshman Bill Hewlett. After graduation, the two decided to start a business together, flipping a coin to determine whose name would appear first on their incorporation notice. Their first workshop operated from a one-car garage in Palo Alto, now recognized as a California historic landmark and the birthplace of Silicon Valley. Hewlett-Packard grew to employ 98,400 people with sales reaching $25 billion in 1994, producing thousands of innovative products for customers worldwide. From its inception, the company operated according to principles that diverged from prevailing management strategies. Rather than focusing solely on profits and revenue growth, Hewlett and Packard pursued broader objectives including openness to change, commitment to winning, sustained hard work, and company-wide community involvement. These values became known as The HP Way, establishing Hewlett-Packard as a widely recognized leader in the technology industry. This book presents Packard's account of his life's work and the company he and Hewlett founded together.