Thursday, July 16, 2015

Pirates of the Silicon valley

1. What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur?
The movie, Pirates of the Silicon Valley, made a way for me to know better and to know more about who really is Steven Paul Jobs or the world renowned Steve Jobs. All along, I just knew him because he is the founder of Apple Inc., the great mind behind the manufacturer of all the Apple contraptions that almost all individual is utilizing nowadays. The story behind his success? I did not know neither any bit of it. I just know his name, that he is Steve Jobs. The mighty Steve Jobs.

As I go through with the movie, there are more than enough reasons that I can say that contributed on his success and his failures.  Maybe one of the prime keys to his success is his companion, who never left his side during his downfall, another Steve in his life, Steve Wozniak, his best bud, and other computer delights that helped them in creating and making their own company. Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs’ best buddy, is the affable man who has witnessed the war between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates without getting wounded along the way. Steve’s persistence on what he is doing and his bravery contributed to where he was right now. They started at the bottom, and now they are on the top list of the companies that has helped the world to be more modernized. Steve does not settle for what is good. He wants the best of the best. He is really brilliant in making ideas, in expressing his thoughts on how and what it should be. Using his garage as a workplace? That was a great move by Steve Jobs because it shows that he is really willing to achieve his goals even though they will start from the beginning, from scratch. Though it was a bit difficult for him to create his dream company, it never became the reason for him to give up. The bank officers where he wanted to get a loan doubted him because he did not look like a business guy at the first place but however, they did not stop him from getting the loan. He pursued and he pursued until it happened. He was persistent. That’s it!

            Brilliant is a true definition for the name Steve Jobs. He was really a brilliant. His brilliance really contributed a lot in the information and technology industry. Not only to that, but he also contributed to the business industry where he uses his ideas on the information and technology side and mixed with the businesses that really needed his ideas.  He was never afraid of being a failure; instead, he used his failed attempts to do much better. One of the things that maybe contributed to Steve Jobs’ success is also his looks. Well, that is the truth. Nowadays, people would gladly talk to a personnel who has good looks, pleasing personality and a dashing smile. It is plus factor for Steve Jobs’ that he got the looks which can attract customers. He used his looks to gain attention on the fair where his team was included. Steve Jobs’ on a dashing suite, a well shaved mustache and a huge grin on his face knowing that their booth was the only booth who has attracted a lot of customers. The way he talks to the public and presenting their product it his unique ability, but at their first try to gather some investors for their company he didn’t succeed in it. And he realized that the bankers and other people that allow you to loan money to build your own company don’t want to see this happy go lucky personality. Until a guy named Mike showed his appearance on Steve’s and the team’s workplace, at Steve’s garage, and told them that he wanted to invest in their company. It was so nice that the man, himself, has approached the team first. Maybe he saw that the company Jobs’ is starting to has the thing. He told Steve and his other co-workers that he wanted to invest to their company and Steve says that what they’re doing is more of this spiritual thing. From this I see that Steve does not want the money for success but he thinks how his company will change the world. He was seeing the future in his hands, in his own hands. He always dreamt that the time will come when this company will be one of those companies who can contribute to the fast changing environment of this world. Creating a product that was way different from the existing products. He always wanted to innovate those existing products to a more different, to a much more better than what any individual could have imagined. He always thinks that there is something worthwhile than those existing products. The best is yet to come. I really like the way he introduce a product of his because he is not just introducing the product by its specifications but he is introducing it like how much it will inspire people when they use it. He was imaginative, creative and of course he was a man who really wanted to take a lot of risks. He was very competitive and very risk taker human being. He is also a big risk taker, he makes Apple set this social currency that high and he wanted for Apple to stay on top of the social currency. 

But then, human as we are Steve Jobs’ has failures too. Because of his brilliance caused him to be blinded; blinded in such a way, that he only craved on climbing the top and becoming the best. For me, Steve Jobs never took time to realize that there are so much more things to be seen. He was missing some important parts of his life. Throughout the movie, I noticed how Steve Jobs’ handle his anger. I thought that he has a lower dose of anger management, that he has the attitude. He cannot contain his feelings every time he was fuming mad. When he is upset, he releases his anger through his employees. He had that exchange of words with one of his employees. He even hurt one of his employees physically. He also has trust issues. He cannot trust an individual whole heartedly. He never opened his doors to the other people.

But, what really bothers me is that when his girlfriend told she was pregnant, he was denial. Really? How can he do that? He said in front of his girlfriend’s face that the baby in her stomach is not his child. I thought of him as a douche bag for that action. How can he deny that child? He has the money. He was stable. He was successful, very successful that he can give all the things when his child will be born. Then, it struck me that maybe he was not ready of being a father at all. He is now at the top and he does not want any interference that could brag his name down as well as his company. He has the world he has been dreaming of then suddenly it will be affected because of his child. He tried all his best to hide the child and the mother. Though, he had visited them the day the child was born, the child was named Lisa, and after that it took long years for him to visit them again. When he faced some legality issues on being the father of Lisa, it affected him.

Steve being successful brought him to his own pit. He became workaholic; he was obsessed with his work and his company. He wanted his employees to do the best of the best. He wanted them to channel their inner souls so that the best that he was trying to configure will go out and will make a new scare in the industry. This one also contributed on his failures. He wanted more and more from them. He even split his employees into two teams, the Mac people and the Apple II people. He made the two teams fight with each other, with their ideas. He was comparing the ideas of the two teams. During the launch of the Mac, he shows off that the people on the team Mac is the best people he has. How rude of him, right? The team should not be compared since the two teams have been doing their best for the sake of Apple, for the sake of Steve. Although his intention of making them into two teams was also for the sake of his employees, it is still not a great move to do by the CEO to compare the teams he made for the better progress of his company.

Steve is also a human who commits mistakes and in contrary, he is also a human who wanted to achieve his dreams. His failures in life have made him a better man that takes the full responsibilities of what he has been doing in his life. He fixed his problem with his child, Lisa, and created a family that will always be with him no matter what. His ideas has a big impact in this world nowadays, he changed the world into a more modernize. Even after his death, the contributions he made to this world will always be remembered and as well as his story.


2. How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?

The question was “How do I see myself as a technopreneur?”. Well, with all honesty, I still can’t think of any good answer to answer that question since I was still in doubt if I am going to be a technopreneur in four or five years time. I still have to pursue my studies and pass all my subjects including this Technopreneurship subject which I am currently enrolled to.  There are still lots of challenges that I might go through to finish this course and a couple of sleepless nights and series of brain drain cycles just to finish this line. According to some research that I have done through the internet, technopreneurship is a kind of business line where the business is relatively connected to the modern technology. To add some, technopreneurship comes from the combined word technology and entrepreneurship. Instead of being called as entrepreneur, a person who deals with this kind of business is called a technopreneur. A combination of these two words will come up to good and better outcomes. Technopreneur aims to provide the people with new and emerging new technology trends, sifting the hype into a business reality. You will get inside the track on all things that the technology will give a big impact on your business tremendously.

A technopreneur is an entrepreneur who is knowledgeable, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path and very passionate about their work; which I think that these characteristics are not yet in my body. Too much characteristics eh? Well, these characteristics can be learned, maybe not now but one step at time then maybe when I got to develop my inner self then I can have the ability of becoming a technopreneur.

According to the characteristics above, a technopreneur should be knowledgeable. Being knowledgeable to all the changes in his surroundings because as we all know that the technology also depends on what the trends are.

            Second characteristic is that a technopreneur should be creative. Since technopreneurs are involved with the technology, and the world has this fast changing environment, a technopreneur should be creative with his ideas on how he is going to help the society lessen the struggles. If I ask myself, am I creative enough to be a technopreneur? I will answer a big no. I have the ideas but these ideas running in my mind are not money worth it. Since technopreneurship is engaged in business, the ideas that a technopreneur should be creating are the ones which can be commercialized and be sold into the business world.

Being innovative is the third characteristic that a technopreneur should possess. Modern technology is the one who really rules the world now; almost every individual is now independent on the technology. Due to this fast changing and growing economy of the places around the world, people more often chose to what the thing or what is the trend that can make their life less complicated. There are existing thing now but in the future people will search more than that knowing that there is much better than the existing products. That is why being innovative is one of the founding characteristics that a technopreneur needs to possess.

There are still a lot of characteristics that a technopreneur should possess. Just like Steve Jobs’, he was a big risk taker, an opportunity grabber and he has the self esteem that no one can take away from him. Learning from Steve Jobs’ story of success, a successful man should never be afraid to take a lot of risks though you can have two different kinds of results to whatever the outcome maybe of you taking the risk. You may win, then it is a good sign that you were doing great in your field or maybe doing great that it can bring to a new you, a new perspective in life where you always wanted to go with. You may fail, but never dwell on your failures because being a failure is a normal case in an individual’s life. If you failed, there is no way of staying in that position but going up. Like Steve Jobs’ who his failures as his lessons so that he will be able t make through when the time come that he might go through with the same situation again.

I would to think that any of the characteristics above mentioned was not yet inside of me. I have this attitude that satisfies and contented of what I have achieve in my life. I do not make a way on how to improve more my achievements. I am also satisfied in my little on ways like making simple program or making a small system. Well, I can learn them little by little through my experiences and all in the real world. But can I really see myself being a technopreneur someday? My answer is why not? I am still a college student but the facilitators of this college I belong to are already training us to become a successful somebody in the near future. I may have different goals in my life but when the time comes and I have decided to channel the inner businesswoman in me, I would gladly mix my business with the technology. There is a lot of ways that the technology will be much better than now in a few years time.

As I stated above that a technopreneur should always think outside the box, that he should not limit himself in imagining things and creating ideas that may contribute to the society, I think I still do not have this kind of characteristic. There are instances in my life that I doubted my imagination. I only imagined them for fun. And sometimes, I even doubted myself because some people wwould like to encourage me that they say I can do this but I will only laugh at them because I am not confident enough to trust my capabalities. I am the kind of person who is already satisfied with the result of my hard work. If I get an ace, I’ll be happy. That’s it! I am the kind of person who thinks that it is okay then it is, I am this kind of person who likes to take a rest than take time to make things develop and way better than others. I am satisfied already with what I have achieved whether good or not so good, big or not.

But being a technopreneur is not that easy I think, you have to be updated of the current trends. Trends changes almost every day that is why they have to be more critical on thinking the possible products they will make because what if it is no longer the trend? Then, making those products which is already out in the market will be such a huge loss to the team. There are a lot of what ifs. But then, nothing will happen if you dwell in your what ifs, all you have to do is to try and if it does not click then you will always have another chance of making it better.

If ever I pursue of being a technopreneur someday, first things first, I will have to and must first change my attitude. I will try not to be satisfied of what was already being served in front of me, I will seek for better things. Well, not so much though. I will make myself be responsible enough to take greater responsibilities not only for myself but also the people who surrounds me. And lastly, I will improve and enhance and channel the inner businesswoman inside of me and will strive to create and imagine things like I wanted them to be. With this rapid evolution of technology, I must be always on the trend and know what the people want. And of course, becoming a successful individual you should love your passion. If ever, I’ll choose to be a technopreneur, then I should be ready to commit myself being technopreneur, I should never give in the middle of a chaos just because I am tired. I should commit myself in this hundred percent but not to the point where I’ll forget the things that really matters example family and friends. They are my support group and I can’t do all the things without their moral support and encouragements.



3. Would you take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?

            Steven Paul jobs or the world renowned Steve Jobs is a very successful man, a very successful technopreneur who started from scratch, from the bottom and is now known to be the mind behind Apple Inc., the company who is also behind the modern technological products like iPhone which is utilize by almost every individual. He started from an idea, his company started on his garage; he started of having loans at the banks where he almost did not get the loan because the bankers doubted him as a business. But he proves it to himself that nothing can happen if he will only his dreams be dreams. He worked hard for it, he had failures on achieving it but it became a lesson for him not to give it up and continue to strive harder until his sacrifices have paid off. He is the man that proves his self to the world that nothing is impossible and proves also that he can do a small thing into real thing. This man is a great inventor which made him to be remarkable in the eye of everyone and well known in the whole world. He has also proven that all of his decision was right though he experiencing many failures in life which made him as one of the successful technopreneur and well known personality not only in the IT industry but also in the whole world that made him to the spotlight. He is a total game changer.

The question above says that “Would I take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?”. Who wouldn’t? Who wouldn’t want to take Jobs’ career path? Who wouldn’t want to be the next Steve Jobs? Who wouldn’t want to own their own company? Who wouldn’t want to be successful? No one would say no if there is a registration to make to take a career path just like Steve Jobs’ career. Me either, if I will be given any chance to take the same career path as Steve Jobs’ took, I will gladly accept it. But, there are lots of buts. Do I have the same determination as what Jobs’ has?

            Steve Jobs’ has contributed a lot. Imagine the world without his inventions; Apple Incorporation would not exist today and the life of everybody will not be easier and would not be simpler. Out of Steve jobs creations, our life becomes easier, faster and simpler.  Steve Job’s career path was full of adventures and misadventures; even he does not know what to do, he still continually does the things for him that would serve his ambitions. He did not give up because he knew what is inside of his heart, his dream and his ambitions in his life.

Unhesitant, I will gladly take the same path as what Steve has taken. On the chance that I will be given the opportunity to have the same ability and capability, then why reject or neglect that chance if these characteristics that Steve Jobs’ has will help me mold the person I wanted myself to be in the next years and will help me to be one of the successful person in my chosen field. All things to be considered, everything relies upon the methods and techniques that I will be using and applying to make things right. I am right now in the world of where it really relies on the technology might as well say that I am also in the world where Steve Jobs’ world revolves. I maybe still an undergraduate but this is an open chance for me to know the basics and have knowledge on how the IT world really works. Business related or not, technology will be having its rapid modernization in years time. Being in this course have been an open door for me to realize of what I may become in the next years. Also, this has been the ultimate risk I will never forget. Though, I am so close on giving up, the thought “never give up” still lingers in my mind every time I wanted to quit and how Jobs’ never gave up on his dreams and made it into a reality, my mind can still picture it out.


Each one of us imagining about being wealthy, about being rich and about having those things that is costly, yet it is just a dream. Steve Jobs’ shows that without hard work and perseverance, nothing will happen. He also showed that you have to start small, have failures in life and gain back yourself in order to overcome the battles you might go through. Giving up on your dreams is not the solution also. You have to make your dream a reality.

Having the same characteristics that Steve Jobs’ has might help me to become the person I wanted myself to be. A successful career is very important to an individual. In what kind of career that I will be taking in the future and my future endeavors, I can encounter both achievements and disappointments. But the lessons I have learned on how Jobs’ handled this kind of situation he was into, that will be my motivation to held my chin up higher so that I will be able to compose myself again and will be ready to face the battles once more. His enthusiasm really interests me on how have overcome all those failures he had in his life though not all was shown in the movie. 

            As I would look back into the movie and somehow reviewed the story of Jobs’ success, I had put it on my mind that his success was not the easy one. He did not any lottery, he did not take any chances of winning some promos with a huge amount of prices instead he took the way where he knew that something good will make it through even though it takes little by little. Considering all his hardships, all his teams’ efforts just to make a change in this world. Making unique innovations on the things that existed just to make the people’s life way easier and better than anyone could have imagined. Without Jobs’ and his team, we might still stuck on an era where the technology is not that enhanced yet though we have this rapid evolution on the technology. There are numerous things to be considered in order to create a new product that will have a huge impact not only to the people, but only to the business world where the Apple Inc. is affiliated.

Taking the same career path that Jobs’ took or making your own career path of success is the same though. Both have their end games, both wanted to end up being successful.  No one wanted to be left when every people that surrounds you wants to be as successful as Steve. It was long way. It will always be a long way. A challenging one. A tough one. And all you need is to be brave enough. To be confident enough. To trust yourself. To pick the people whom you will trust. To be surrounded with the people who has the same dreams as you are. As in individual full of dreams, I dreamed of taking the same career path like Jobs. Who knows right? But, I should possess first his characteristics for me to be able to have the confidence in myself. Steve Jobs was a living proof that dreams do really come true when you have perseverance and you do it with all your heart and hard work.

But then, we still do not know what the future will be. I may want to be technopreneur but we don’t know if the tables will turn. I wanted to be successful like Jobs but on the profession I will choose. They say if you love your job, then you will never feel like you’re working on it, I don’t know the exact quote but it has the same thought though. Just like Jobs and yourself, you got to choose if you are going to take the same career path like Jobs or you have to make your own way to your success.  There is nothing wrong choosing the profession what have you wanted as long as you will value all the lessons you have learned. As long as you love your job, and you know you have fulfilled your dreams. As for myself, whatever profession I may take, a technopreneur or a work affiliated to my course, I will still apply the characteristics that I have learned in watching the movie that shows how Steve Jobs’ got successful on the career path that he took. I will bear those lessons in my mind and his story so that if ever I will be able to face some tough challenges, I am confident that I can make it through just what Steve Jobs’ did.

                                                                                                       


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