Customer Reviews

The HP Phenomenon: Innovation and Business Transformation (Stanford Business Books)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an HP employee for 25 years, I found the book extremely engaging, yet couldn't read it all in one sitting. It rubbed me raw at times, because I lived much of it, made me feel like I was on the Psychiatrist's couch sharing about my family. In fact I did get teary-eyed several times, then started sobbing after I finished reading some of the speeches Dave Packard gave.

I recommend the book to all HP old-timers; some of the younger HPites might find it interesting as well.

I also recommend the book to those students of business to understand how to do it right.

When I learned from Chuck and Ray that they had taken on this endeavor, I said "wow - great idea, but how will they ever get it all down?" They got it all down. This is the definitive work on the life and growth of HP, and especially on the management of the engineering design & development process. All this told with anecdotes and quotes from the over 200 people Ray and Chuck personally interviewed.

Congratulations!

Dave Yewell, St. Helena, CA

This must be the most thoroughly researched book ever. If you're going to read one book on either HP or on business transformations in long-lived companies, this is the book. All long-lived companies have good times and bad times, both of which are usually exaggerated at the time they occur. House and Price do a great job of putting HP's successes and failures into meaningful context relative to the performance of the company's peers. The book also does a unique job of analyzing many breakthrough business processes invented at HP (in addition to the technological breakthroughs). HP is not the company it was 20 years ago. This statement would have been true if uttered at any time in the company's history. (Jon Johnston - HP Computer Museum, [...]).

This book brought back a lot of memories, and proved to be an education. Even after many years at HP, I was unaware how desperate some of the desperate times had been - including some that I had lived through. The authors have presented a fair and balanced picture that captures the strengths and weaknesses of every HP leader, including Hewlett and Packard. Looking at a more recent example, while Carly's failings have received considerable press, it's rare that anyone mentions the things she did for HP: Carly put "Invent" on the HP logo and pushed to reinvigorate invention within HP; Mark has extraordinary operational excellence, but he has taken "Invent" away.

In closing, the authors present two possible future scenarios for HP: one good, one bad. I believe HP's record of renewal is a tribute to the strength of its core values. As HP separates from these values, whether through policy or necessity, it approaches a crossroads that will determine which of these future scenarios will come to pass.

I was particularly encouraged to read about the glowing embers of the HP Way discovered during the interviews for this book. I'm now surprised to find myself in a graybeard role, perhaps engaged in my final project for HP. Whatever comes to pass, I know that when I finally say "Yes" to that fishing guide job I will always be grateful for the opportunity to work with the exceptional people at HP, a quality that distinguishes this company to this day. Chuck House and Ray Price have captured the essence of HP in a very readable work. I recommend this book without reservation.

I'm am HP employee, joining HP about two years ago as part of the EDS acquisition. So it was with great interest that I bought this book. My objective was to try and understand the mysterious, mystical (mythical?) "HP Way" in order to motivate me to think better of the company I work for.

Well, my conclusion is that the "HP Way" is DEAD, DEAD, DEAD. Actually, I think it's been dead for at least twenty years. Carly put the final nail in the coffin, the HP board and Mark Hurd sleezified the legacy, now Leo has led HP down 10% stock price drop in his first quarter as CEO, and 6% stock price drop as his second quarter gift to shareholders. Clearly, despite great laptops, fantastic printers, and probably the most thorough cloud strategy in the industry (yet to be implemented, but the strategy is great in theory), HP clearly struggles with culture and employee motivation.

Something is definitely wrong at HP, and this book is not sadly not much help finding out what. It's a nostalgic look that is probably really interesting if you are 70 and remember working for HP in the sixties and so actually recognize some of many names that are dropped heavily throughout the book.

But as a insightful probe in what makes modern HP tick, you'd be better off read the gossip columns about the Mark Hurd dismissal. You get a much better insight into the greed of the executive tier and the manipulative bunch of silicon valley insiders that is responsible for the corporate version of acquisition bloat that is HP today.

By the way, I read the story of Zappos 'Delivering Happiness' by Tony Hsing in weekend, and couldn't put it down. That's a business book relevant to today.

The story of HP in contrast is the story of a once great company that got so big it can't remember what it's about anymore.

I just finished reading The HP Phenomenon book. I am speechless. Anything I write here will fall short of the merited justice and compliments it deserves, but I'll try. I've been looking forward to the publication of this book for several years. "What's taking them so long", I wondered. Several years ago I was interviewed by Ray Price for this HP book. Fewer years ago I asked Chuck if he was still working on it. I was anxious to see the results of their efforts. This book about HP is not like any that I had imagined. It is awesome.

In it there are far more details, references, interviews, individual history, product history, project history, division history, corporate history and HP history than seems possible. There were names listed that I've long forgotten but seeing them referenced brought back many memories. I had visions of when and where I was working as another name appeared on the pages.

I was in the scope lab in Bldg. 7B working on the 130C oscilloscope with John Strathman when I first met Chuck House. He was a new kid on the block at that time and assigned to work as a circuit designer for new oscilloscopes. About the same time Ned Barnholt joined our lab as a circuit designer. I was always quite focused on the task at hand that I didn't pay too much attention to all the various people, company activities and problems around me. My lab bench and drawing board was in the middle of the lab, right on the isle and I'd see Bob Brunner, Dick Alberding, Bill Terry, John Young, Barney Oliver and others frequently pass my drawing board to see Norm Schrock or Cort Van Rensselaer. Rod Carlson and Kay Magleby were at the far end of the lab working on the sampling scope. There are so many names and millions of memories.

I'm sure The HP Phenomenon means more to those of us that worked at HP during some of the period covered by it. Knowing many of the folks that are written about makes it all the more precious. I noticed, while reading each page, every line and sentence has detailed meaningful information. It surprised me how much detail is included about our competition, their history, products, and successes (or failures).

I won't kid you, but, like most books that I read and especially technical books or books on software...I fell asleep in the middle of the page more than once. But, while reading it I experienced several emotions. I was very thankful that Ray and Chuck took on this enormous task of documenting the thousands of details of HP, the many employees and their history. I was thankful that Ray and Chuck covered areas of which I had no knowledge. It's a fine reference book. I was thankful that they covered many events, meetings, and quotes of many of our managers at HP. And when I read the last page I found I had tears in my eyes because their book was a good read and sincerely appreciated. Really, all I want to say is that The HP Phenomenon book is precious and thanks to Ray and Chuck for writing it.

I worked as a product designer for hp for 34+ years and retired in 1990.

This book has some basic take-aways including: focus on significant contributions; create a corporate structure to allow, stimulate, and nurture new ideas; move decision-making as low as is possible; stay on course on new ideas in the marketplace; centralized crucial infrastructure, and decentralize everything else; and take the time to get the right people--don't settle for second-best. But that's all on one page.

The real value of this book if far greater. It is a wealth of insights into a major and dynamic technology-driven organization. The book's strong appeal is in the REAL story it presents, told in a compelling and fast-paced style.

The book brings events and key players to life, and allows the reader to examine the strategy and tactics of both the big picture and the human interactions that shaped that picture. It is a macro and micro story, artfully interwoven. As the authors put it, "The significant story about HP's success is not concerned so much with leadership at the top (although there is plenty of focus on those who were in the strategy saddle) as it is with leadership at all levels of company." (pg. 35).

Really engrossing reading, with insights aplenty for managers, consultants, researchers, and those who seek to understand organization in a business context.

I'm very pleased to see a book that chronicles what for me was a major part of not just my professional life, but a large part of my life period. Needless to say I held a great deal of respect and admiration for both Bill and Dave (I will never forget their visit to our site. To meet and speak with them was truly a great honor).

Managers and companies that respect and value their employees has become a very rare thing these days... even at the HP of today where the myth has out lived the practice. It is very good to see this documented in this book, because the fact of the matter is, the HP Way was not a myth. I lived and worked with the HP Way for more than half my adult life. The qualities that make me a top-notched engineer today come from those years at HP and I pay homage to that every time I receive praise in my career.

I absolutely agree with the perspective that this book will mean the most to those of us that lived the experience. It is unfortunate that many in the current generation of managers and CEO's simply will not get it. Read the book... A Hint... it's not about marketing, products, stockholders, engineering... It's not even about the company itself... it's about the people.

I was a 2nd generation HP'er... who gave 24 years of service. I left HP in 2007.

~ScottGeek

The forward of this book written by Gifford Pinchot describes how Chuck House earned the MEDAL OF DEFIANCE certificate. I was Chuck's R&D Manager and co-conspirator in the large-screen electrostatic monitor project. This book review, I sent to Chuck and repeat it here for any who are interested.

Chuck, this book is in a word OUTSTANDING! Just a few thoughts that come to me at the moment:

(1) It struck me that you had taken on "Mission Impossible" and what a roaring success of conveying very complex organizational and strategic issues. I simply can't imagine all the work that went into this gathering and recording information and the horrendous book organizational issues involved in bringing the huge data base of facts/opinion into an interesting/readable book.

(2) The overall "picture" conveyed of what "really" took place at HP over the years is a "Reality Show" deserving of an Oscar.

(3) I was struck with the very graphic language that created "pictures" in my mind. I don't know where you got all of that vocabulary.....I had to consult a dictionary more than occasionally.

(4) I was somewhat turned off by all the product numbers contained in the book which decreased it's readability. The more I thought about that, it seemed to me that those product numbers may have been necessary to increase the factual credibility and to create a "Reality Show" for those HP people who "lived" those particular products in their portion of that "Reality Show".

(5) In summary, I think that this book is fair and equals reality as close as it can be approximated vs. the eulogy it could have been if done by the Packard/Hewlett families. Yes, and it's certainly obvious why HP (or the families) do not endorse it.

(6) I just realized how ignorant I was of what was going on within HP after about the first half of the book.

(7) Lastly, I thought that I had found an error....but on further review I was wrong! Damn, You're Good!

This book argues that HP's success is to due to its ability to transform itself to meet the challenges of new markets, customers, and times. Transformation is an over-used term in the business press, but here it is appropriate. The six transformations identified by the authors were not cosmetic makeovers, but gut-wrenching reinventions of how the company functioned. The crises that precipitated these transformations and the efforts of HP people to advance (or resist) the changes make an engrossing read.

The are several provocative conclusions in the book. First, that HP executives -- founders Bill and Dave included -- were opposed to every transformation that the company ended up making. What makes HP unique, then, is that its leaders allowed these transformations to happen even though they were against them. Could there be any more profound demonstration of the company value of "push decision-making down to the people closest to the action?" A second is that CEO Carly Fiorina, while almost universally reviled by employees and business commentators (after she was fired, of course), crafted a sound strategy whose success is only now becoming visible -- partly due to the operational genius of her successor, Mark Hurd. Another observation is that current CEO Mark Hurd shares many qualities with founder Packard: a near encyclopedic knowledge of every aspect of the company's operations, a consistent focus on execution, and a no-nonsense, pragmatic style.

My only caveat about this book is that it tries to be too many things: a comprehensive history of the company and its products, an analysis of the company's "DNA" and an articulation of a particular business philosophy. Because these topics are all intertwined in the text, a reader most interested in the latter two subjects may be overwhelmed by the amount of text devoted to technologies, products and the people involved in making them.

Personally, I enjoy all of this, but I have worked in the industry for a long time and have been a fan of the company even longer (even though I used to work for a competitor!). HP's growth and evolution parallels that of the electronics industry as a whole, and its management philosophy has arguably had more impact on the industry than any other company. If that interests you, then this book is a must-read.