Why It Ranks #75
The founding document of Silicon Valley management culture. Packard's principles of trust, profit-sharing, and management by walking around became the template for every technology company that followed, and his humility makes this a refreshing read among CEO memoirs.
The Review
David Packard co-founded Hewlett-Packard in a Palo Alto garage in 1939 and built it into one of the most admired technology companies in the world. The HP Way describes the management philosophy that made it possible: trust employees, manage by walking around, share profits, and treat people with respect. The book is the origin story of Silicon Valley culture — before Google, before Apple, before Facebook, there was HP, and its values shaped everything that followed.
Key Takeaways
- 1Management by walking around: leave your office and talk to the people doing the work
- 2Trust your employees — give them the tools and freedom to do their best work
- 3Profit sharing aligns employee interests with company performance
- 4A company exists to make a contribution to society, not just to make money
Fun Facts
- •The HP garage at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto is designated as a California Historical Landmark — the 'Birthplace of Silicon Valley'
- •HP was the first company to offer flextime to all employees
- •Packard served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense under Nixon while still involved with HP
Book Details
The HP Way by David Packard
Pages
224
Goodreads Rating
3.93/5
Copies Sold
500K+
First Published
1995
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