Toyota 4R SRS 2000

 I bought my  4-Runner in 2000, 23 years ago, new. Now it has 221K miles on it. The last 15 years or so it was parked on the street in San Diego.  The car serves me nicely.  There were two accidents: one in about 2002, when the car spun out of control on ice when crossing the  Santiam Pass in Oregon. The car hit the pile of snow and a post on the side of the road and stopped spinning. It had chains on but the road was very slippery. This produced a minor dent in the back of the car. Then, my son was driving at night in 2022 and hit several cars parked on the street. There was some damage here and there (radiator etc), it was all fixed in a body shop. 

 I must say, the reliability of the car is amazing. It is also a 4-wheel drive car; It is now quite essential to drive in our house in Julian during the winter. Never had any problems with it. It is a gas guzzler though, about 15 miles per gallon. 

HP Way Part 3

 Today's thoughts are about why HP way is no more.  Again, my experience is only with HP, but there is Apple, Google, Tesla, Amazon --- each company has its own culture and the way to manage people. 

HP Way was heavily dependent on the constant influx of new products in the product line. This allowed the company to keep their employees busy, be profitable and pay back to employees for their loyalty.  I have no idea how Bill and Dave handled it  before the calculator/printer time.

This is not easy to attain and the management needs to be very technical, and also well connected to the rest of the industrial world and perhaps also to the government and defense (which was the case with Bill and Dave).  This is/was definitely not the case at HP from about 2000 on.

Perhaps it is not even feasible anymore in the US on the hardware side as US is no longer the technology hub. Not sure how the software companies (Microsoft, Google) are handling it.  Thus I was under impression that Microsoft was completely out of ideas of where to go before the Artificial Intelligence Boom. Google seems to be the same way but with some delay.

HP Way Part 2

 Let's now review  some of the flip sides of the HP Way

1. Place HP sites  in small towns with a small engineering school.  This provides a steady flow of fresh out-of-school engineering graduates  who  will stay put for a while, as HP is a pretty much the only employer in town and there is nowhere else to go. 

When the business starts to decline, the engineers in a small town  will need to relocate. It is always painful and sometimes not even possible for many people. This will generate the 'culture of fear ' as the people will become afraid to be laid off. 

2. Pay slightly less than the average pay but provide more job security. 

The argument is lost with the loss of the job security. Then, the people are still paid less `and have no job security. Gradually, the pay as the motivator of a good performance, will disappear as a factor.

3. All the business/engineering decisions at HP are done   by consensus.

This eventually leads to wrong technical decisions, and wrong product lines. The consensus can be reached in an ugly, mediocre product that is   the least disliked by all the parties involved.

4. HP culture, compared to other US companies, is  based on teamwork rather than on the solo work of individuals. 

This eventually leads to the lack of technical leadership. As the result, the brightest minds (such as Steve Wozniak) get in trouble and eventually leave the company.

Hewlett Packard and HP Way

 I worked for Hewlett Packard, Inkjet Division for nearly 22 years.  I am still trying to digest my 22 year experience, all the good and not so good things that happened to me and to other HP employees from 1998 (when I came) to 2020 (when I retired).  Today's topic is HP Way-- the way Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard operated before my time,  and the way this tradition evolved to modern times. The  HP Way is partially written down, and can be found elsewhere.   To put it in one sentence, it is an attempt to treat employees nicely, with the exchange for their increased loyalty. I am sure Dave and Bill were not the only ones who did that or tried to do that in the industry in United States in 1950-1970s. 

A good question is then: where did it go? What happened to it? Why it is no longer there?  (I am sure some people will disagree and say it is still there).  My short answer is that the HP Way  is not translatable to the modern Silicon Valley culture and is not sustainable long term.

Anyway, these are the HP Way principles as written down by Dave Packard.

"The HP Way (c. 1992)

We have trust and respect for individuals

We approach each situation with the belief that people want to do a good job and will do so, given the proper tools and support. We attract highly capable, diverse, innovative people and recognize their efforts and contributions to the company. HP people contribute enthusiastically and share in the success that they make possible.

We focus on a high level of achievement and contribution

Our customers expect HP products and services to be of the highest quality and to provide lasting value. To achieve this, all HP people, especially managers, must be leaders who generate enthusiasm and respond with extra effort to meet customer needs. Techniques and management practices which are effective today may be outdated in the future. For us to remain at the forefront in all our activities, people should always be looking for new and better ways to do their work.

We conduct our business with uncompromising integrity

We expect HP people to be open and honest in their dealings to earn the trust and loyalty of others. People at every level are expected to adhere to the highest standards of business ethics and must understand that anything less is unacceptable. As a practical matter, ethical conduct cannot be assured by written HP policies and codes; it must be an integral part of the organization, a deeply ingrained tradition that is passed from one generation of employees to another.

We achieve our common objectives through teamwork

We recognize that it is only through effective cooperation within and among organisations that we can achieve our goals. Our commitment is to work as a worldwide team to fulfill the expectations of our customers, shareholders and others who depend upon us. The benefits and obligations of doing business are shared among all HP people.

We encourage flexibility and innovation

We create an inclusive work environment which supports the diversity of our people and stimulates innovation. We strive for overall objectives which are clearly stated and agreed upon, and allow people flexibility in working toward goals in ways that they help determine are best for the organization. HP people should personally accept responsibility and be encouraged to upgrade their skills and capabilities through ongoing training and development. This is especially important in a technical business where the rate of progress is rapid and where people are expected to adapt to change."

This is the written part of HP Way, so to say, the 'front end' of it. There is/was also an unwritten part that is deeply engraved in HP culture but is not often  verbalized.

1. Place HP sites  in small towns with a small engineering school.  This provides a steady flow of fresh out-of-school engineering graduates.

2. Pay slightly less than the average pay but provide more job security. 

3. All the business/engineering decisions at HP are done   by consensus.

4. HP culture, compared to other US companies, is  based on teamwork rather than on the solo work of individuals.