Technopreneurship 1
Review – Pirates of the Silicon Valley
What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur?
Technopreneurs are entrepreneurs who are into core businesses involving technology-based industries. They are the ones who make use of the technologies to come out with new or innovative products through a process of commercialization, the cycle of introducing a new product or production method to the market. The businesses are generally marked with high growth potential and requires high leverage of knowledge and intellectual property
For this reason, Potential Technopreneurs must be equipped with both technical and business skills. Technical skills for having the capabilities to design, set-up, operate, and correct malfunctions involving the application of machine or technological systems, and business skills for having the wisdom to know what to do, when to do it, what to say, and have control over the delivery of the statements. To become a successful technopreneur, a person must be mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared to whatever comes in the way.
Steve Jobs, was one of the most successful technopreneur in the world being labelled as American businessman, designer, and inventor. He was best known for being the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc., the largest publicly traded company in the world as well as the largest technology company in the world. Through Apple, Jobs was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution for his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics field. Indeed, the success of this man was beyond comparison. However, behind every success is a struggle.
In his early days, Jobs was just an average man who started his career from scratch together with his co-founder, Steve Wozniak. He seemed to be interested with the little computer invented by Wozniak, and with that, he started to get involved with it. In a period of time, Jobs and Wozniak was able to design a “blue-box” which generates the necessary tone to manipulate the telephone lines which could allow free long-distance calls. Since it was illegal, they were almost caught, but fortunately, technologies in those times were not totally known. Having been drawn to technology like a magnet, Jobs continued in pursuing his career. He began to attend meetings, and even changed his appearance, and eventually formed their own business called Apple Computer Company.
The Apple Computer Company was the stepping stone of Jobs for larger opportunities. Through their invention, they received funding until it became a large company. From then, the success of Jobs continued to pour. He was able to build a large company, recruited a new CEO, and made their company renowned.
While Jobs became a persuasive and charismatic director for Apple, his employees from that time described him as an erratic and temperamental manager. The disappointing sales caused Jobs working relationship with his members a struggle. And for this reason, Jobs was eventually fired from Apple.
Without him realizing, he almost reached the top, but with just a snap, he almost lose everything. After being fired from Apple, he started from scratch again, by then; he eventually made his way to the top again. Jobs road to success was full of ups and downs. He once became successful, but eventually failed. And from that failure, he attained his success.
When he first started, several factors contribute to his first success. He first learned how to create computers, in which, would require technical skills such as analyzing the needs and product requirements to create a design, controlling 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 great in dealing business to others.
Jobs almost got what it takes to be a 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. And most of all, he could communicate effectively which droves the people to take a look at their products. Jobs had the ability to speak clearly, persuasively, and forcefully in front of the audience. He was confident and could speak effectively.
Jobs could be called a perfect 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. 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 times of his life. One moment he’s on top, another moment he’s down. And because of this, he started to stand again. He kept his hopes up and became positive with what he was going to do. 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.
He went back to Apple Company had another chance to bring back what once was his. Jobs had new goals and had enough of what he had done from the past. And under his guidance, the company increased sales significantly which proves his brilliance.
Indeed, Jobs career life was a remarkable one. He worked his way to the top, strived hard, and attained temporary success, but because of carelessness and self-centred, he fell down. But those moments weren’t enough to pull him down 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’d been through, he was able to gain new confidence to reach the success he wanted which lasted until his last breath.
How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?
Being a technopreneur means being brilliant both on technical skills and business skills. Technical skills requires the ability to design, and set up applications of machine, on the other hand, business skill is a skill which requires speaking effectively and convincing others to deal with your business. These two skills should be balanced to become an effective and successful technopreneur. If the other one was greater than the other, no one knows what struggles may come.
As for myself, based from the reality, I couldn’t say that I am good in both areas. 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 I could learn how to be 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. I still don’t have a proof to myself that I would be able to do it. But this doesn’t mean, I can’t do anything, it’s just that, I have different plans which are quite far from being a technopreneur.
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 generation revolves around technology, it would be quite easy for technopreneurs to handle the business and make the company a renowned one. 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.
If I could be one of the technopreneurs, I think I would be able to help in developing the innovation in the world. With all the technology we have, I could come up with something that would be worthy enough to be part of world of technology. Even so, I could start by working into companies which could be a stepping stone for my success.
But as I think deeply about it, being a technopreneur is not that far, though it’s not that near. It just seemed like, a person just have to acquire skills which would basically help in succeeding into anything.
According to lifehack.org, success is not just about positive attitude, the Law of Attraction, or The Secret. Success takes action, and taking good and appropriate action take skills. These skills are learned in school, in job, and the general life experience. First is public speaking. Public speaking is the ability to speak clearly and persuasively. Being able to speak effectively means you can sell anything, not only products but also ideas. As for me, I had few experiences in talking in front a crowd; however, I haven’t done any public speaking which would require me to convince other people. I guess I don’t have that aura or that charisma since I used to be a shy person. But if it’s for the sake of business, and my future, I’d be willing to risk it all.
Second would be writing. Writing well offers many of the same advantage that speaking well offers. Learning to write well involves not just mastery of grammar but the development of the ability to organize one’s thoughts into a coherent form and target it to an audience in the most effective way possible. Well, for this matter, I could say that I have capabilities in writing. I guess I could trust myself in this matter. The third one is Self-Management.Strong organizational skills, effective productivity habits, and a strong sense of discipline are needed to keep you on track. For this one, I couldn’t actually trust since there are several cases where I lack self-discipline and that’s something I had to work on. Next is Networking, a large network, carefully cultivated, ties one into not just a body of people but a body of relationships, and those relationships are more than just the sum of their parts. This would mean that I have to go and see the world to meet all kinds of people.
In the tips, it was stated that Critical thinking follows, Decision-Making, Math, Research, Relaxation, and basic Accounting. I do believe that critical thinking is a talent, in which I just had a few. Though for the decision-making, I always ways the options to what would be a good choice. For Math, I kind of like it but sort of hate it. Research, of course is important, in all aspects since this is a way of acquiring knowledge and information. But from all these tips, I haven’t realized that relaxing could be one of them.
As stated, stress will not only kill you, it leads to poor decision-making, poor thinking, and poor socialization. So be failing to relax, knocks out at least three of the skills in the list – and really more. Plus, working yourself to death in order to keep up, and not having any time to enjoy the fruits of your work, isn’t really “success”. It’s obsession. Being able to face even the most pressing crises with your wits about you and in the most productive way is possibly the most important thing on this list. In which, I agree to this statement. Stress could be a traitor and could bring the people down. I guess, this is also the factor which caused the failure of Steve Jobs. Because you see, it was stated in Wikipedia.com that Jobs is disappointed with the sales which drove him in forcing his employees to work harder, without resting. And because of his actions, his employees see him for someone who treats others badly, which caused him a rotten attitude, plus his downfall. So I guess, stress could also be the root of all evil so it would be much better to rest even just for a little while.
I guess these skill tips are not that bad for encouraging people who doubt their skills and capabilities. And I believe that, I may not be the best technopreneur which could match up with the best ones, but I could be one in my own little, and simple way.
Would you take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?
Steve Jobs was an American businessman, designer, and inventor. He had known for being the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc., the largest publicly traded company in the world as well as the largest technology company in the world. Jobs was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution for his influential career in the computer and consumer electronics field. Because of this, he was very much admired by most people. Indeed, he was a great man.
Now the question is, would you take the same career path as Steve Jobs took? Well, truth to be told, Steve Jobs did an excellent job in his company. His success was beyond comparison. 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. Yes, I know, a girl 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 if it was something everyone would want to have. Yes, I would definitely take the same path.
Another thing is that, Jobs contributed a great part in the technology and in the modern world. Even though he’s now on the other side of the world, people will continue remembering him as man who changed the world. He was also a man who earned billions of money. And yes, that would be very much amazing. If contributing at a community makes them remember you, if donating something makes them know you, how much more if you could contribute in the world’s innovation. The success of technology makes people realize that there’s more to it. It would be very much amazing to let the people see what beauty technology brought us. It would be a pleasant feeling, to teach younger generations about how the modern century works. Having the same career path as Jobs is something anyone would want, something anyone desired. He may not be the greatest person, not the richest person, but his works proved who he really was.
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.
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.
The path where Steve Jobs took was the path to the new beginning from a horrible ending. And that would be the path I would also like to follow. Humans always had imperfections which lead to complications. However, those ups and downs are what keep them stronger. Those struggles help them see who they really are. Those failures lead them to a greater success. Dark sides will always have a bright side.
I, myself, had experience ups and downs, 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.
This 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 a nobody, turned into somebody, had a major breakdown, but eventually stand on his feet. I know I’m still on the stage where I had to work hard. Despite of the struggles, I had to keep moving on if I want reach the end. I guess the path for me is still blurry, but I know there are signs which would guide me to be on the right track. And just like Jobs, I would stand on my own and accept that failures in life are the greatest things that could ever happen.
After all, everything happens for a reason. People must learn from mistakes but should never regret it. Nothing is constant that’s why people change, things might go wrong, but still, whatever happens, life goes on.
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