Reflection (Pirates of the Silicon Valley)

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

After watching and completely understanding the movie, Pirates of the Silicon Valley, I came to know Steve Jobs better because all I know about him is that he was the owner of Apple, that he was the man behind the Apple gadgets that people are using nowadays. I only know his name but not his story. There are lots of factors that contributed for the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur and this factors made him a better man because without those, Apple will not be as successful as we can see today. The eagerness of Steve Jobs to develop the very first personal computer leads him to the success of being a technopreneur. And of course, with the help of his friend, co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, and some of their friends that have this knowledge in developing programs. His perseverance to venture into the business even though they cannot get an approval for a loan in the bank and continued to operate and make business in his parent’s garage. I do really admire the qualities that Steve Jobs possesses, the eagerness and perseverance because it had made him famous and was able to make a history out of it. He had this passion in computers and innovating things that can be of help to promote the use of technology in their time that obviously we are enjoying the privileges of his inventions with the collaboration of his friends. We are now enjoying the awesome features of iPhones, iPads and iPods because of the success of Steve Job’s products in Apple.

The movie does not only discuss his success as a technopreneur, it was also projected in the movie the downfall of Steve Jobs. He became too obsessed of the success he had after getting into business with his computers and worst denying his own daughter not even considering that he was also an orphan. Because of his obsession for fame, he came to the point that even divides the company unto a rivalry where “Mac vs. All other Apple platforms”. This strategy had triggered Steve’s co-founder to decide to leave Apple and went back to college and teaches children about computers. Steve Jobs is also an ill-tempered man because he gets angry and yell to his employees when they made some mistakes or when he is in the situation wherein in most likely he is threat. When his temper arises everything will follow like a domino effect that he would treat everything as a something isn’t working well. Like for example, when he had a fight with Arlene arguing about their baby, when he went inside their office, he yelled at his employees treating them like losers and idiots like persons that couldn’t make things right for him. He is an abusive man for all of his employees that he had strained 90+ working hours for his employees a week and sleepless nights because of programming. This attitude had led his employees to rebel against him because his employees also need some rest but he does not allow it. Employees should be treated as family not by just a mere person working to earn a living because his company will not be this successful without the help of his staff because I am pretty sure that he cannot do it alone. Having a bad relationship among employees and co-workers is not a good practice in business for a healthy and good relationship should be established among the people in the company so that the business will stay up and not fail but in Steve Jobs case, he was not able to realized the importance of it because all he is thinking is on how to win over IBM, which he considered as the enemy right from the very start. And for me, the biggest mistake he had ever done is to trust Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft. Another thing is that on the early part of the film, as Apple is starting, Steve has started or already intake dangerous drugs that compromises this decisions, and saw delusions. I think this made Steve the person when he has grown older and changed his attitude. Another is giving access to their prototype product to another company and trusting Microsoft with it. Although he wanted to really crush IBM, he should have not given full access to the device to Microsoft. And with this, Microsoft made their move and copied the idea of Apple which they also copied from Xerox.

Bill Gates is the man who is also obsessed of Computers had led him to trick Steve Jobs of his plan of pirating their operating system. He had made his plan very smoothly that even Steve himself was convince that Microsoft is not a threat for his company only to realized after that Gates had copied their idea about Macintosh and had made a similar copy of it called Windows. As the mafia saying goes “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”, as Bill Gates told Ballmer his friend. He wanted to make friends with Steve because he was threatened by the success of Apple and because of Steve’s obsessive hatred to IBM, Bill Gates got him too bad for Steve that he trusted Bill Gates. The success of Apple computers is rooted by the ability of Steve Jobs to sell it the crowd. He had this talent to convince people about their product also his eagerness to be in the business had made him to strive harder to have what he has but his negative attitudes had led him to become a failure and worst got even fired on his own company. I find it funny that none of his friends wanted to offer him a toast during his 30th birthday because of the fact that he had done to hurt his former best friends. I learned that if you are on top, remain to be humble at all times. We must not forget the persons who had helped us to gain the success that we are experiencing like Steve Jobs when was the man on top, he became too obsessed and proud of himself forgetting where he started, the persons who are on his side that is why he failed but this experience of his had made him a better person because he got hired again by Apple in the year 1997. I admired his enthusiasm in his work because even though he got fired from his own company, he was able to have it back and proved to everybody that he is better the second time around. Everybody deserves a second chance because we are not perfect. We may commit mistakes because of wrong decisions, wrong doings but it is not too late for our undoing. Just like Steve Jobs, he committed mistakes because of his obsession for fame and recognition that even the people who were there for him through his ups and downs became his enemies, he still chose to change and make up for everything he had done.

I do admire this man, Steve Jobs, because he is that smart and intelligent to come up with the invention of a computer during his college days with the help of some of his friends. They worked on a garage but it doesn’t stop them for continuing their passion of computers. Without their eagerness and determination, Apple products will not be present at present for many are really using their products. It may be costly but their products are reasonable for their prices. Design wise, quality wise, features wise, specs wise. In totality, Apple products are very successful in penetrating the international market at present. All thanks to its founder, the late Steve Jobs.

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.

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

He may be gone now but he left an imprint on me. Life is too short to live someone else’s life. Live your own life. Make your own legend. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

“STAY HUNGRY, STAY FOOLISH”

How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?

Technopreneurship is new to my vocabulary but from the word Techno means technology and entrepreneurship means the process of starting a business. I came to understand what is this all about. Being an entrepreneur is never my forte, I hate selling stuffs because I know I am not good at it considering I haven’t tried it. But as our lecture in our subject Technopreneurship, I am able to appreciate it because entrepreneurship plus technology is a good combination considering that our generation today had this fast growth of technologies. I would be honest that as of now I am at the middle of being a technopreneur because I still need to enhance my skills in selling products and thinking of useful products that involves technology that the market would love and would be a break for me. But upon watching the movie, I had realized that it is not impossible to be successful in this track because Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are nobodies but look where they are right now still successful. Their talents and capabilities had made Bill Gates the wealthiest man in the world and Steve Jobs even though he is dead right now but his legacy still remains and been loved by the people. When I was young, I always dreamed of having a business because I can see that it opens doors for a good profit like the typical business having a restaurant, hotel, even having my own airport and own hospital but I realized being a technopreneur had so much things to offer because it had made nobodies into some bodies and until now we are needing and wanting to have their products.

Technopreneurship is the idea of technology and entrepreneurship and technopreneur is the person responsible for it. Technopreneurship is intended for all of those who are interested in pursuing a technology based business innovation leading a career of technology based entrepreneurship. According from what I have read from an article in yahoo website by Rajesh Shakya, “Technopreneurship is not a product but a process of synthesis in engineering the future of a person, an organization, a nation and the world. In a digital, knowledge based society, strategic directions or decision-making processes will be demanding and complex.” Technopreneurship is not just a mere technology innovation but more of molding or forming the future of not just one person but others.

In this subject, Technopreneurship, we are introduced to many start up ideas that came from brilliant minds of students, businessmen and other who are fond of thinking of innovative ideas that would help the society with the use of technology since almost everything in our time today are operated with computers. The number of innovative ideas that are now emerging nowadays really amazed me because I did not see these ideas coming or possible for today. Like the idea of geo-tagging, where in you can locate nearby places like restaurants, comfort rooms, hospitals near the vicinity using an application available in smart phones. A very popular phone application that we are using like GrabTaxi wherein we can have a taxi ride anytime anywhere just by using the application for taxi booking. It provides convenience to users with the use of these innovative ideas that are emerging the market at present. In our subject, we are required to think of innovative ideas that would have a big impact in the society in the field of transportation, academic purposes, food, services like hotels, malls, hospitals and etc.

After I saw the film, Pirates of Silicon Valley, I was motivated and see my self after Steve Jobs which was to become a technopreneur. I want to be like Steve Jobs like he have the factor of being futuristic which I may able to develop, innovate and create a new technology that would get the attention of the audience. I also want to see myself having the factor of being predictive where I may able to have the knowledge to sink the ting that would happen afterwards and where I may able to have a lot of options that would actually and preferably demand the need of the industry. Being Technopreneur is really the things people could consider now. Especially these times that we have job inflation rate and based on statistics, here in Phil., we have millions of people that are jobless. Yes, sad to say, it is the reality on how people don’t know how to be a Technopreneur. Being a Technoprenuer really can help in this kind of situation where having now.

I want to see myself having a factor of being a good project leader where I may able to manipulate my team into more effective effort for us to deliver the project demand for. Furthermore, it might lead me into a get fairness of my employee where I may able to distribute my idea and sink it into the ideas of my team. If I was a technopreneur into the future, I want to see myself of having a factor of determination so that my perseverance to acquire the goal and finish my work with full of satisfaction and because of that I may able to have the passion to create, innovate and develop things to things. I also want to have the factor of being loyal to my work where I may able to produce an effective work that would demand the needs of the industry or by my client that I might have. Aside from being loyal to my work, I want to have the factor of being practical so that I can insure my work that won’t ne worthless. Furthermore, having a mindset to a practical I may able to hold on the things I need to. And beside of having a practical, I want also ho have the factor of being am open-minded person so that I may adapt the thing that will give me more effective idea. Being open-minded, I may able to adapt the critics and opinion of the other people. to be able to be a successful technopreneur, I want to have and see myself being positive in doing my work were I ideally have the positive outlook in my work where I will persevere the thing that would be the best to continue and finish my work. Being positive is the best to have a technoprenuer to have the perseverance and motivation to finish the work. I want to see myself as technoprenuer where I have the skill of good communicator where I may able to convince the audience into my product. As I look myself being technopreneur I want to have the knowledge in business aspect so that I may able to take the level of the industry. I want also to have the knowledge to innovate something and create an artistic product idea that would encourage the industry and make it more productive.

Every one of us needs to earn money to supply our needs in order to survive in this world. There are so many ways to earn money and one of them is to build a business. In Steve Jobs life, he builds a business in the terms of technology by using his skills about the computer and it is called “Technopreneurship”. He earns a lot of money because of his business. Many people will follow the footprints of Steve Jobs and I am one of them, because I believe that when I graduate in my course I will be the one who will become famous or a well-known person in our country.

Furthermore, to be a technopreneur I have to be attentive in the world of market, I should look into the latest development and technology. The fact that our technology is in fast way that even every day there are new releases in the market. Then I have to be decisive in all my decision, in relation to my field of interest like Steve Jobs I have to love what I am doing. I have to vie for the best and never stop excelling in my fields; I have to be strong to face the challenges that will emerge in the world of technoprenuership. And also I have to note that there are several technoprenuer out there that will dare more than me but I will not be affected by them instead I have to focus on the place I am standing and see if I could make further innovation to upgrade my product and services. As a technopreneur I will not stop in learning from others especially in all my failures that will try to bring me down.

Lastly, there is no wrong in grabbing every opportunity. But if that opportunity will pose any harm to anyone then it is to be considered accordingly. Because there are opportunities that instead of benefiting you it will turn to be sure pit fall. Almost of the people of the world believes in luck, luck in business, luck in life, luck in relationship, and etc. but in my case who don’t believe on luck, will be considering my technopreneurship career to be sure and there is a target to be hit. It is not because I’m out of luck but because there things that needs to be dealt with for the sake of my operation in being successful. I have nothing to blame in every failures but myself so that I would be learning more and rectify the past mishap that I had done. And I have to bear in mind that I’m the one that will be orchestrating my career and I have to be professional enough to handle.

Even though technopreneurship had more things to offer compared to other businesses that does not involved the usage of technology I’m still confused and can’t decide if I would venture in this kind of stuff but who knows, I might someday! Hehehehehe…

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

If I were to answer this question right now, I can’t tell it straight. I admired the determination of both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates because it had made them both successful in their chosen paths. They are history and nothing can object to their contribution into our lives. They had made our lives easier because of their products. They introduced to us the power of computers and I am thankful that I am given the privilege to experience their products. I want to be successful like them but I want to achieve it the in the way I know that I can. I want to have a business that syncs with things that I love like food, clothes, vacation spots, music but I am not closing doors in considering technology to become my business someday. I want to be known because of what I had established and when this time would come, I can assure you that this what my heart wants. This what makes me happy and makes me contented in life and I can say that I am successful. Just like in the movie, “The 3 Idiots”, the saying “Make your passion, your profession” this would be my motivation in whatever track I may take either east or west, north or south. Whatever I will take I will see it that it’s the right path for me. Many thanks to this movie because it inspired me that it is not impossible to achieve our dreams. The concept of the computer is just an idea but because of their passion, the men behind the success of it, it had become a reality.

I went to take the same path of Steve Jobs career on hoe he overcome such problem, how he succeed and how he developed because of such journey; I want to feel how he adapt and enhance himself beyond his motivation, deterministic and passion. Being a good innovator was a good thing for grabbing an opportunity that’s what I’m looking for my dreams and my goal to achieve. However being boastful of Steve Jobs, I don’t agree on what Steve Jobs did in his employee on how he treats them. I want to control my employee but in the see that they won’t be able to think that I’m being boastful and too much. Being perseverance just like what Steve Jobs do was a best thing he do where I really want to do also because being perseverance and dedicated to the work will end up a good work and effective product so it will demand from the audience an therefore it will end up into successful business. Steve Jobs didn’t limited himself into the technology and because of that I also don’t want to limit myself into everything because It will just keep you in a boundary and with that you will not have the idea to look for the best and the benefit of the things that would innovate, create and developing and implanting because it will be one of the process that you will under go. As I see the career path of Steve Jobs showing success and failure. I would take his career path in becoming successful and a big no to his failure. But reality speaks that I am not the same with him, I am still in the process of building my capacity to become a technopreneur so I cannot go with the same path that Steve Jobs earned. Hence, I would like to take his steps in becoming successful in his career path.

Steve Jobs is one of the biggest names in the computer industry. He even makes it to the point that he had reached the peak of his success. As an Information Technology student, I cannot deny the fact that Steven Jobs had a big contribution in the computer industry today and to the development of strengthening the technology today. But other people didn't know about the contribution of Steve Jobs in the field of business and technology today. Steve Jobs success can be a motivation to everyone not only on the field of technology and entrepreneurship but also to their own fields. Becoming successful doesn't mean that you are taking the same path of other successful people. You, as an individual must establish your own identity and signature on which you are in making and taking the same path that you are going to take. Take it as a challenge to build your own strong foundation.

I can see myself matured enough on handling stress from the work and setting aside personal problems when I am at work. This could help ourselves from breaking down and helps us grow stronger when we know where to place each of what is concerned. Handling failures are needed. When a person has overcome failures he wins because winners never quit. They fight back, start anew and move forward, they get started new ideas and proposals and make them into reality. Life has its ups and downs not only failed people have experienced it but also those who succeed because they never stop trying and believing.

I conclude that my dreams and goals in life is not impossible to happen, I just need to take the risks and have this unending motivation to have it. Many thanks to the two men who had made a job well done. I admired on how passionate you are in your works. I know you had not taken it the easy way but on way that you had encountered obstacles which made you a better man. “ Good artists copy. Great artists steal. “ – Picasso Those words were just simple but it had made a great impact because it had led us to the birth of Windows in which most of us are using today. I can also relate with that quote because I consider myself as an artist but I don’t know which one, a good artist or a great one? Whatever path or track I may choose it would be the one that will complete me and something I can consider as my own. As something I could be proud of not only me but also the people around that care for me. A path that would take me to a life that I always dreamed about, a life where there is happiness and contentment. A path that will be remembered even if I am gone. A path that will help to bring out the best in me. A path that will turn my dreams into a reality. A path that could inspire people around me. Lastly, a path that I will surely love walk again and again and again and again and again.