Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure

In the real world, management is an art, not a science. The formal techniques for decision analysis that business schools teach are fool’s gold, a vain and misguided attempt to systematize the chaotic. The mere existence of these methods betrays a darker truth: we harbor a desperate desire to believe that the world is ultimately predictable. But an

Through the power of television, I knew that lions were large, proud creatures that roared and lived in Africa. But one day my father took me to see the big cats at the Bronx Zoo. I could barely relate the coarse, smelly creatures in front of me—lying docile and panting in their cages while flies buzzed around their heads—to what I had witnessed fr

Bill could suffer just about any indignity with grace, except when someone had abused his trust.

Although they had just walked in, Gates immediately slouched in front of a new Macintosh that sat unattended on the receptionist’s desk, to see what software was loaded.

Almost like clockwork, every ten years since the beginning of the computer revolution, a new class of computers had unexpectedly emerged.

Robert was renowned for giving good demos. This stemmed from an unusual skill: he could deliver a relaxed and articulate exposition while he surreptitiously carried out a complex sequence of operations with his hands. He held your attention with his words as he deftly recovered from problems that would normally require total concentration. If it we

Jay Hoag of Chancellor Capital, who by now was a friend of mine, offered comforting words. “Sure I’d rather make money. But bear in mind that this happens all the time. It’s a numbers game. Everybody understands that your first responsibility is to take care of your people. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

I could see that something had changed in him. He seemed less intense, more at peace with himself. “Where did you park the jet?” He sighed. “Sold it. I’m also selling our vacation house in Hawaii.” “Too bad, I never got to mooch a vacation there,” I said. “How come?” “We just decided to get our priorities straight. All this stuff—our material posse

As a veteran of many layoffs at Apple, she understood the importance of a swift announcement and decisive action. “Let everyone know that their voice mail will remain active while they look for a new job, and I’ll be setting up a placement center where they can work on their resumes and check job listings.”