Silicon Valley guru prescribes recipes for success
By Bonnie James
ALLOW a lot of decisions to be made at the lowest management level. This was one of the key messages that Silicon Valley icon and Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak gave at the QSTP TECHtalks – The 2008 Conference yesterday.
The ‘computer geek turned cult icon’, who helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, held the audience captive with a keynote address that highlighted the secrets of his success.
The inventor of the first ready-made personal computer, who collaborated with marketing genius SteveJobs in 1977 to launch Apple from a garage, also gave a fascinating narrative of his experiments combining computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen, which resulted in the Apple I.
“I had a natural talent in mathematics and loved electronics when I did it,” Wozniak, who retired from Apple in 1985, later told Gulf Times, tracing the evolution of his growth.
Earlier, he told the gathering that not having resources could make one, like in his case, think of how to do things in an inexpensive way.
“I am a strong believer in repetition,” said the recipient of America’s highest honour for leading innovators, the National Medal of Technology from President Reagan in 1985, while observing that he has redesigned his computer over and over again.
But what Wozniak, now 58, considers really important in inventors and innovators is that they should have that urge to do something new.
“You have to really believe in yourself and that your ideas are good for the world,” said the former designer of scientific calculators at Hewlett-Packard, which turned him down five times when he broached the concept of making a personal computer.
Having passion (in the work one does) is worth a lot more than money, and having the drive will lead one to find the resources, he said while recalling that he wrote the entire code for developing Apple II by hand.
Wozniak’s advice to managers was not to control everything tightly from the top.
“Make sure your employees are dedicated and have passion. Allow lot of decisions to be made at the lowest management level. Let them build. Like at Google, allow them to try their own ideas,” he said.
Inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2000, Wozniak urged all potential entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators to never try to do average work. “Always aim for excellence,” he stated.
Asked if he would consider taking up some project in Qatar Science & Technology Park, Wozniak told Gulf Times he would strongly think about it.
“I am trying to develop a start-up company to work on a couple of different projects I have in mind,” he said.
Wozniak also expressed appreciation for the vision of Qatar’s leadership to invest in education, research, and science and technology.
By Bonnie James
ALLOW a lot of decisions to be made at the lowest management level. This was one of the key messages that Silicon Valley icon and Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak gave at the QSTP TECHtalks – The 2008 Conference yesterday.
The ‘computer geek turned cult icon’, who helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, held the audience captive with a keynote address that highlighted the secrets of his success.
The inventor of the first ready-made personal computer, who collaborated with marketing genius SteveJobs in 1977 to launch Apple from a garage, also gave a fascinating narrative of his experiments combining computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen, which resulted in the Apple I.
“I had a natural talent in mathematics and loved electronics when I did it,” Wozniak, who retired from Apple in 1985, later told Gulf Times, tracing the evolution of his growth.
Earlier, he told the gathering that not having resources could make one, like in his case, think of how to do things in an inexpensive way.
“I am a strong believer in repetition,” said the recipient of America’s highest honour for leading innovators, the National Medal of Technology from President Reagan in 1985, while observing that he has redesigned his computer over and over again.
But what Wozniak, now 58, considers really important in inventors and innovators is that they should have that urge to do something new.
“You have to really believe in yourself and that your ideas are good for the world,” said the former designer of scientific calculators at Hewlett-Packard, which turned him down five times when he broached the concept of making a personal computer.
Having passion (in the work one does) is worth a lot more than money, and having the drive will lead one to find the resources, he said while recalling that he wrote the entire code for developing Apple II by hand.
Wozniak’s advice to managers was not to control everything tightly from the top.
“Make sure your employees are dedicated and have passion. Allow lot of decisions to be made at the lowest management level. Let them build. Like at Google, allow them to try their own ideas,” he said.
Inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2000, Wozniak urged all potential entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators to never try to do average work. “Always aim for excellence,” he stated.
Asked if he would consider taking up some project in Qatar Science & Technology Park, Wozniak told Gulf Times he would strongly think about it.
“I am trying to develop a start-up company to work on a couple of different projects I have in mind,” he said.
Wozniak also expressed appreciation for the vision of Qatar’s leadership to invest in education, research, and science and technology.
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