Reflection to the movie "Pirates of the Silicon Valley"

1.            What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a Technopreneur?

Success comes if there is persistence and determination onto something that you wanted to attain. It usually happens to those people who do not know the words “give up” and “failure”. The ones who always set in mind that everything happens for a reason and that their dreams were never built without them having the will of achieving it. Most of the prominent citizens in modern century did not achieve something without experiencing failures. As what Confucius says, “Our greatest glory is not in ever falling but in rising every time we fall”.

The movie Pirates of the Silicon Valley depicted the life and works of the two famous and remarkable persons in the field of computer technology: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Steve Jobs being a designer, inventor and a co-founder chairman of the Apple Inc. was also a man being desired and looked upon by so many people not only in the business industry but also among the students and aspiring inventors of new technologies. He was a man of great honor and pride during those times of victory in his era. He never gave up to the things that he love that made him put into the place where he is today. Who would have thought that a dropped out student, stubborn man, and a drug user would be in the road of success and became legendary? How did it happen? What are the factors that contributed to his success and failures? Scroll down your mouse and you will find out.

There were lots of great things that lead to the achievement of Steve Jobs. First is that he loves what he is doing or simply he has an enthusiasm in his field of being an inventor and computer technopreneur. One cannot attain something when one doesn’t love that something. Because sometimes you just have to have that little inspiration for you to move on and strive harder. Steve Jobs even at times when he was younger; he never gets tired of exploring, learning and discovering new things from pieces of scratch. He always thought that small things always have a greater impact when it is studied and concealed. As what his friend Steve Wozniak (who soon became the co-founder of Apple) says, “Steve always saw things differently”. Though there were so many times that he had been rejected and experienced failures, he never once gave up on the things that he loved to do. His enthusiasm pushed him to become innovative and creative. It also became his bloodstream that keeps him alive and continues to move on.

By the time he had succeeded to put together the Apples Inc., he was fired at his own company for his wrong treatment to the workers. But that incident did not stop him from the enthusiasm that he had in learning and discovering the secret of every piece of art. And also because of his enthusiasm, he was held back to the company to work again and develop the Apple NeXT.

Second thing is that Steve has a strong spirit. He believes that everything happens according to his plan. Though he did not finish his college degree, he did not stay as a dog astray instead continues in discovering things around also with the help of his friend Steve Wozniak. There were times when their works were being rejected but that doesn’t stop him from doing it again and again and presenting it to people. And because of his strong personality, his success story became legendary that every individual looked upon and searched for.

Steve Jobs is also a competitor. He considers the IBM as his main competition even at his early days as a technopreneur. He considers it as his enemy. His friend Steve Wozniak once said, “I used to think maybe Steve was born obsessed with wiping out IBM”. He being so competitive leads him to pursue what he is doing and elaborate more what he already has. He even cut his beard to be presentable so that he can sell those mini computers they invented.

Fourth is that Steve is very good in persuasion, opportunistic and is very tricky. He persuaded the Xerox guys to show them all their incredible stuff that they developed and trick them so that they can get the mouse for the benefit of the computer that they were currently developing. He said that they have to think themselves as an artist. As what Picasso said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. And with his great tongue of persuasion, they got what they wanted to have that resulted to their great honor and big success.

On the other hand, Jobs did not reach the success stage without failures. One of the factors that failed him is by the way he treated his workers. He never let them sleep without finishing something and always telling them to have loyalty in their jobs. There was one of his employees who were still up for 52 hours. Imagine that? Martial Law really exists in their company. He never let them nap for just a while until he was not satisfied with their works. He mentions also that some of his workers worked even more than 90 hours a week.

Being the owner of the company, he was really abusive, tearing people down and throwing tantrums. There was a scene on the movie that he is being punched by his worker because he was shouting at him telling him to finished something but that person could no longer think because he was so tired to reflect and defend the unfinished design. Even Steve Wozniak who was a friend of him from the start resigned in the Apple because he did not understand the way Jobs handles everything.  That the latter had turned his own company into two camps: having his Macintosh group against the Apple II people.

Because of his being so violent among his people, he was fired by his own company he built with hardships and sweat. That was the hardest thing that ever happened to him. But somehow, it doesn’t stop him from being innovative on the things that he already loved. Because of this, he was held back to his own company.

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 and died on October 5, 2011. Within these years of existence here on earth, his works and achievement will never be forgotten thus be remembered and will become a seed for a much better technology in the nearer future.

How do you see yourself as a Technopreneur?

Let us first discuss everything about technopreneurship and the qualities that a technopreneur must have. Technopreneurship came from two different words, technology and entrepreneur. Defined by Wikipedia.org, the word technology is the making, modification, usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function. While entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur or "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods".

According to Rajesh Shakya on his blog about technopreneurship, he defines a technopreneur as a technology savvy, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path, and very passionate about their work. They take challenges and strive to lead their life with greater success. They don’t fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technopreneurs continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy.

Famous technopreneurs that are being desired and honored by most successful technopreneur wannabes were Steve Jobs known for the Apple Inc. and Bill Gates who popularized Microsoft. These two people were considered to be the most successful technopreneurs of the modern time. Bill Gates once became the wealthiest man in the world while Steve Jobs who owns the Apple Inc. was well known for his innovations such as the iPod which is mostly the carried gadgets by young population of today’s time.

When I first read the question, I really find it hard to answer because of the reason that I really don’t see myself in the business industry. I truly did not think of myself as a technopreneur or a businesswoman. We don’t sell something at home and my parents don’t have a business. My grandmother and some of my relatives do have their own businesses but that doesn’t concern me anymore.  I live in a life thinking I would be doing something what others want me to do when I would finished my college degree. All I imagined in the future for me to work on is a company where I am an employee that sits on my own desk doing office stuffs who go home after office hours then back again for tomorrows work. Not an employer or someone who manages, plan, boss around and decides for the success of the company.

Based on research and on the Basics of Technopreneurship module 1.2, the characteristics of being a technopreneur are hardworking, self-confident, builds for the future, profit-oriented, goal-oriented, persistent, copes with failures, responds to feedbacks, demonstrates initiative, willingness to listen, sets own standards, copes with uncertainty, committed, builds on strengths, reliable and has integrity and last but not the least is a risk taker.

Having thought and read about it, I never really see myself as a technopreneur now. I don’t have all of the qualities nor shall I say I have some but majority of the qualities stated above are not inculcated in me. When I was younger, I am usually the shy type girl and speak only when asked. I don’t usually mingle around with people, play with them, share thoughts and ideas as well as persuade them to buy something that I have. Never in my life I was engage in selling products or other things related to entrepreneurship. As I reach college, I decided to take the course Information Technology having in mind that it was just a simple path since it only tackles about computer and all that typing and editing videos and making presentations and all other stuffs. But neither did I know that it was not only about video editing and encoding text but it was merely all about how did those editing features came from, how did that websites developed and what are the codes behind those software that we enjoyed using. Information Technology was also considered to be one of the hardest courses among all the courses in the University of Southeastern Philippines.

Another thing is that in no way did it come to my mind that being in the Information Technology field it would touch as well on the business part or the technopreneurship. We watched the film “Pirates of the Silicon Valley” last Monday, July 2, 2012. The movie depicted the story of the two most promising technopreneurs, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates of Apple Inc. and Microsoft. Being an entrepreneur requires passion, persistence and determination. And the two of them show great enthusiasm thus making them a successor in technology business. Due to these two stars, we were at comfort today by using their well-developed products and inventions.

Going back to the question, how can I see myself as a technopreneur? I consider that being an entrepreneur you have to have those strong skills and positive thinking for you to surpass every up and down as well as creative and innovative mind to make simple things become great ones. If given the responsibility of being a technopreneur someday, first is that I would have to developed all those qualities described in the module of the “Basics of Technopreneuship” in order for me to cope up with the ever changing world of business. I must develop my self-confidence so that I can face bigger people as well as bigger challenges ahead. I must learn the techniques, strategies and procedures on how to excel in the industry. And lastly, being in the business industry, I must have the skill of being creative at all types. Though I am not that business oriented person but when time comes and I will become one, I will try to do whatever it takes to outshine and be productive in this industry. As a technopreneur, I see myself as a positive thinker that would always bear in mind that all things happen with its purpose and that failure is just a part of the game, not the end of it.

 Would you take the same career path as Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?

Who would ever think that a person who never got the chance to graduate a degree course would end up famous and billionaire? Steve Jobs is popularly known to be the founder and developer of the Apple Inc. in which I consider to be the prime of all the existing technologies today. He was admired by most of the people for his huge success in the field of technopreneurship. At young age, he already turned simple things to great ones that welcome the world to the modern era of technology. Due to his passion, persistence and determination, he became the man he never thought he would be, the man having the immense honor and pride and the one behind every Apple device used by most of the young generations at the present time. Since the day of his first success even until now that he has departed to life, he was still being looked upon by millions of people for his development and innovations for the Apple Inc.

We can never really tell what a person would become someday at some point at some time. That the word success is only for those who are willing to take risks, those who fear nothing and for those who believe in the power of their universe. Those people who never thought failure as an end of their journey on the other hand a lesson to go on to the next level and strive harder. People who never looked themselves down because there is only one thing in their mind – everyone is unique and people have different ways to perceive reality.  

After watching the movie entitled “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”, I was as inspired as I am to the life of Steve Jobs as he became what he is now from the days he was just starting to develop small things into something bigger. At the beginning of his journey, he was just a simple boy having different way of thinking about life who discovered incredible thing that leads to his achievement. But, being a successor, he did not became what he is today without those failures, rejections, problems and heartaches. He experienced the worst pain in his life when he was fired from the company that he built with sweat, tears, hardships and sorrows. However, those things were taken by him as an inspiration to pull him up once again and go on and on.

I admire Steve Jobs for being so passionate of his line. As what the Albert Schweitzer saying goes, “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” And that is the reason why he became what he is today. He has also the courage and strength to do things on his own way never minding the negative comments and feedbacks of some who did not recognize what he is capable of. 

            Seeing the movie, of course I admire only his determination and persistence to achieve his goal but not the way how he treated people around him. He was arrogant and abusive to his workers that he even let them keep wide awake for 52 hours. Isn’t that cruel? Steve was way back then also very competitive. Yet, his competitiveness leads to a positive and negative outcome. On the positive way, it pursues him to become very innovative and tries to conquer what the IBM has. Nevertheless, his competitiveness and his eagerness to see competition also lead to the resignation of his friend Steve Wozniak. IBM being his competitor, there were even instances that he did not hire someone just because he was part of the IBM Company before.

            We all know that nobody is perfect and everyone has its flaws. As a person, one of the things that I don’t like about Steve is that he did not recognize the child of his girlfriend as her daughter. He even yelled at her saying that it wasn’t her daughter and that he didn’t trust whatever she says. But, even though he did not accept her as her daughter, he insisted to his girlfriend to give her the name Lisa whatever it takes. Around the time his daughter was born, Jobs unveiled his next computer which he named, ‘The Lisa’.

            Another thing that I don’t like about him is his attitude towards his co-workers. Even though he is the boss, he must not act like one so that communication would be harmonious between them that may result to a better output. He was even hit by his employee for he was yelling at him because he can’t find a finished product.

            Steve was also out-smarted by Bill Gates when the latter joined his company. Due to the persuasive tongue of Bill Gates, he made Steve said the word ‘yes’ confirming him being part of the company. Steve at time has given his full trust and confidence not knowing that Bill had some other plans aside from it.   

            Other than having those attitudes, he was changed when he was fired by the CEO John Sculley shortly after his birthday toast. Though he was not in the company anymore, he continued to do what he has been doing and returned to Apple after his acquisition of NeXT Computer.

Knowing the life of Steve Jobs inspires many aspiring citizens including me to strive harder and to never give up on learning and innovating things. Because no one can ever tell, what a person may be someday. That the dumbest person might become the wealthiest man? That a dropped out college boy may become one of the aspiring person someday? Everybody wants to achieve something in the future. Steve Jobs being a great successor in business, who wouldn’t want to take the same path as what he took? But for me, I would take a different path. Maybe I will follow his attitude of being passionate, persistent and risk-taker but never his bad side. I will learn from his experiences and maybe someday I will be like him. It’s never wrong in dreaming the impossible. It is our own will and power that would change it the other way around.