Pirates of Silicon Valley

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

Steve Jobs. A well-known public figure in the industry of technology mainly because of his ideas, designs, and innovations. He is known for being the co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of the company called Apple. He is one of the world’s known people. The people of Earth knew him as a successful man who revolutionized the way of technology since when they started Apple, and later became more popular for introducing the iPhone, iPad, Mac and many to mention. There are three hundred forty six products, designs, etc. that are patented under his name. But, just like a normal person, he had a story. A story that had its ups and downs. Steve Jobs was not gifted a luxurious life, he was a normal person like us. But, how did a normal person like him became a worldwide phenomenon?

Steve Jobs had a lot of things that had contributed to his success. It was his friends back then who helped him. Before he became a well-known public persona, he and his friend, Steve Wozniak which eventually will become the co-founder of the Apple along with Steve Jobs. Both wanted to do things. With that hobby of theirs, they made something. They were the ones behind the Blue Box. The Blue Box was originally designed by Steve Wozniak. The Blue Box was used to switch a normal into a long distance call, just by producing a certain frequency of tone, and use the Blue Box to enter operator mode and route your calls wherever you want. It was Steve Jobs’ idea to sell the Blue Box, they made tons of these until stopped making Blue Boxes when they were nearly caught. Wozniak claimed that they made $6000 during their venture on selling this. Because of that, they started to do even more things. Steve Wozniak was Steve Jobs’ bestfriend buddy. They were like a perfect match. The path their career started when the two joined a computer faire to display Steve Wozniak’s design. Wozniak’s design was the first computer (would be the first personal computer) to have a small TV screen as a monitor. It amazed the people, drawing their attention to Wozniak’s invention. But, the thing is that Wozniak was not good at talking to people back then, so it was Steve Jobs’ job to do the talking. Steve Jobs was the one who found a way to sell Wozniak’s invention, but Wozniak said that he cannot create more of those things to sell, because he had a contract at HP where HP would claim Wozniak’s first invention. But fortunately, HP declined Wozniak’s invention. They refused to it cause they see it as a toy. They worked at the garage of Steve Jobs’ house to build more of Wozniak’s computer with the help of Elizabeth and Daniel Kottke. Then, Steve Jobs visited one bank to another just to acquire a financial assistance. But, Steve Jobs’ tremendous effort to look for financial assistance, he was very unfortunate. He kept on getting rejected by those banks he visited, mainly because of his appearance. Then one day, a miracle came into the garage. Mike Markkula came and offered to finance Wozniak and Jobs with a quarter million dollar. They sealed the deal and is the start of Apple. Then one day at computer faire, the people went rushing on Apple’s stand. Almost all of the people neglected the other company and they drew all of their attentions to Apple since it was the only computer to have a monitor. Until then, Apple became famous they eventually became a company. They have their own headquarters, and they have lots of employees who are very loyal to Steve Jobs. And then on, Apple became more and more successful. Steve Jobs received lots and lots of recognition of every success they had in spite that it was his team who actually worked hard at it.

Looking at it, Steve Jobs would be nothing IF they were not friends with Steve Wozniak. The people around him contributed to his success, especially his team. Steve Jobs was not a programmer nor an engineer. He has nothing, nothing but his team and his wit. It was the way how he talks to the people. He was the face of Apple, and everytime there will be a launching of product, Steve Jobs was the one who face the huge crowd of people and talk to them, introducing the item. He was the one who had the charisma. It is also on how he control the team. As I have mentioned, Steve Jobs was not a programmer nor an engineer, but had his team and his brain. Even though he does not know how to do programming or build things on his own, he had his team. When he can perceive a vision, an idea, he had his team to translate his vision or idea into reality.  and his logical way of thinking to market the products was the greatest factor that helped Steve Job on the road to success. Whenever he wants something, he gets it. Just like how he got the graphical user interface and the mouse from the XEROX Alto developers for free, since XEROX rebuked it because the executives did not see its potential at that time, and because of the fact that the mouse was called a “mouse” which the executive find it very funny. As what Wozniak said, it was like they were like a mongol horde who were looting a defenseless village.

As we all know, success and failure are partners. You can’t have success without having failures, and just because you are successful, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be seeing failure anymore. No. As what I always say, failure is anywhere. Failure is there all the time around the corner waiting to strike its victim. A successful person, franchise, company will experience failure, not only once, or twice, but as many times as possible. Failure is passive. In fact, Apple faced failures. One of their failure was the computer Lisa. It was failure to the market, which they did not sold enough.

When Apple became a huge company, Steve Jobs had a problem on keeping up his manner. First of all when his girlfriend was pregnant. Steve Jobs refused to take responsibility since he insisted to claim that it was not his. He and his girlfriend had a lot of fight because of that matter. He kept on denying and denying that the child was his. Steve Jobs was such a dick to his girlfriend, he dumped his girlfriend, leaving his girlfriend pregnant with the baby all alone and continued with his technological venture. He continued to work and he does not seem to care about his girlfriend and his daughter at all. He even said on an interview back in 1983 that 98% of the male population of America could be the father of Lisa (his daughter). They performed a paternity test and it showed that Steve was indeed the father of Lisa. But, still Steve won’t accept it. He did not even want to give a $20, 000 financial support which Steve can afford. But there was an article I read that Steve Jobs agreed to give a $500 monthly support. He even brought his unpleasant manner in the company. He was such a dick to those who applicant who came from IBM since Steve Jobs looked up to IBM as their rival. He would embarrass the applicant and rejects them. He was also a jerk to his employees, giving time a lot of working hours way beyond than recommend, and he would pressure those employees. He also has a bad temper which he likes to pour out to his employees. He demands anything what he wants, whether he wants you not to sleep for days just to do your job. Everything went up into his head. He felt superior to others and bully those who are inferior to him. There was a time where became like a dictator, he divided the Apple team into two, the Apple II team and the Macintosh team, and he’d let them fight which is the best team. As what have Wozniak said, Steve Jobs is tearing the company down. Steve Jobs trusted Bill Gates and worked with him to bring down IBM. But in the end, it backfired. Bill Gates betrayed Steve Jobs and stole pretty much everything from the Macintosh and implemented it on the Windows which the Microsoft are developing. Mike Markkula, Steve Wozniak, John Sculley (Former CEO) saw how Steve Jobs changed, and saw how he’s tearing the company down. On an interview at a conference, John Sculley said that Jobs was depressed when the second gen. Macintosh was ridiculed as a toy, and the negative reception was too much for Jobs to handle. Sculley and Jobs had a clash. Jobs wanted to drop the price of the Mac and improve the advertising and wanted to shift a large portion of Apple II over to the Mac. Scully disagreed and said that the problem was not about the price nor advertisement, and if Jobs would do that, they are going to risk throwing their company. Further clashes happened, but John Sculley had no other option but to fire Steve Jobs. The board agreed to Sculley. Steve jobs was fired on the company he founded (co-founded). His attitude and his inappropriate actions were the factors that contributed to his failure. 

2. How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?

Today, were are now living in the age of technology. An era where things that were once complicated are now very easy to do. An age where devices that are as large as your palm can do such extreme things. All by the power of what we call technology. In this generation, many things and people’s lives are heavily dependent to technology. Technology made things easier, such as when you want to search for something, you do not have to look in the phone directories, newspapers, flyers, or etc., you can now do it by just searching on the internet. When you want to send money to your loved ones, you do not have to fall in line in the banks just to reach the counter, you can now send your money digitally through online means. Before, our means of transportation was riding a horse, riding a carriage, a trolly. Now we have cars, trains, planes. And if there is one thing that the technology made a very difficult thing very easy, is that they made communicating with other people very easy. Before there was technology, people would have to know where the other person is before they could send them a message or a letter. Now we could just send them a message to ask them where they are at the moment. The point what I am trying to make is that, we can now communicate very easily and we can send messages now instantly in a blink of an eye, unlike before that we should have to know where our friends lives or where they are at moment before we could send them a message, and that message could reach a long time to get there, and maybe by the time it gets there, your friends moved out to another place. All things are now easier with technology. Now, technology is almost everywhere. It is because that geniuses, and inventors translates their ideas into real life whether to compete with the latest trend in technology or to solve such problems using the power of technology. It is like that every day of the year a new technological invention or a breakthrough will happen. It seems that people nowadays are technological geniuses, cause if you would look at it, there are lots and lots of people inventing something out from nothing. Even teenagers are now into inventing something new in technology. Teenagers are now capable of introducing technological innovation at a very young age. Of course I am referring to those teenagers who enthusiast about studying, not those who do nothing but to make themselves look better, and party and drink booze. It is like there are lots of technological genius in every country here in the world that are working their butts out to revolutionize people’s lives. If there are any people right now who is planning to become the next greatest and most epic technological genius in the world will find themselves struggling to fulfill that dream. Not because tuitions are very expensive or because of the hardships of life. They may struggle because it seems that everything that a person could possibly think of has been invented or already been conceptualized by other people who are on its way to invent it. It is very hard right now to think of a new innovation that could solve problems. A possible thing that could happen is that they would copy an existing invention, trying hard to top it. In fact, that is already happening right now. There those company or developers who managed to create a successful creations like apps, devices, etc. but due to their succession, popularity and fame, there are those others who want to top it, but they end copying the exact same thing with only a little difference. Let us take Flappy Bird as an example. Flappy Bird became a viral and a famous game back then. After it has gained popularity, many companies and developer wanted something to create to beat Flappy Bird, but what they did is just a clone of Flappy Bird. I do not why they did that? They want to beat Flappy Bird but they made a knock-off Flappy Bird game with the exact game play but different graphic art. I am referring these apps; Clumsy Bird, Flappy Cat, Flap Bird Forever, Tappy Bird and many to mention. See? It is very hard to come up with new ideas these days if you want to be a technopreneur. You have to battle with your own thoughts just to come up with a new and fresh idea.

Now, this question asks if how I see myself as a technopreneur. Well, it is hard for me to think of it. I haven’t even thought of myself as an entrepreneur, now a technopreneur? I never dreamt of becoming a technorpreneur before. Not because that I hate to become a technopreneur, nor it is a bad idea. No, being a technopreneur is not a bad idea. Being a technopreneur could be the greatest idea that you could have and you could ever dream of. You can help a large portion of the Earth’s population by your innovation, and with that, you can also gain profit from it and might become a millionaire or even a billionaire if could do it. For me, when I was in elementary, I dreamt of becoming a scientist since I love the subject. I love to read science books and facts about science. I was eager to study more on science subject than on my other subjects. That is why I am fond of the idea of becoming a scientist. I wanted to discover things and help people by my discovery and solving things that cannot be explained by current science. When I became a high school student, I realized that it will be impossible for me to become a scientist cause it will be very expensive, and I should need a highly-intelligent brain. I was so discouraged about. I love science, but I admit that I am not smart, and I am not a genius, so that is why I chose to become a normal person and dream for a normal accomplishment. But even though I lost courage on becoming a scientist, I still love science. I still read facts and read researches of some modern scientists to cope up with what is happening in the field of modern science of the modern era that we are living right now.  I also love to read physics and quantum physics to seek answers to questions that cannot be answered by normal science. I managed to revert to my old dream, which to become a scientist. I thought of many ways to pursue it, but no matter how hard I try, I still end up facing the truth that I cannot become a scientist due to our impecuniosity. When I was in my third year high school, I fell in love with photo editing and video editing. I used to edit photos and videos almost every day.  I really love how it feels to edit a photo, especially to do a photo manipulation. I had fun swapping people's faces. Most of all, I really had fun creating visual effects using photoshop. Then, I managed to learn how to use after effects and do more and more visual effects. Later on, I was interested in designing, so I tried to do some designs. More and more people knew about my hobby and they saw it as an opportunity to seek some help from me. Whenever they want some photos to be edited, they come to me and ask me to edit it. Or if they have a video project, they come to me and ask me if I can do their video project. Of course, I gained money from those. It became my sideline to help my fellow students. They praised me for my work, they kept on telling me I am a photoshop or a VFX master. Of course, it made me happy and it made me look up to myself. And from that moment, I wanted to become a multimedia artist or to become a director. Unfortunately, we were to poor to afford multimedia arts or any course that relates to directing. My mother insisted that I should enroll in USEP cause I have a full scholar. So, I did. I chose BSIT because my brother told me that it has a major in multimedia. But, suddenly there is no majoring in USEP, and multimedia is just a subject.

Life was hard for me in IC, and now I am stranded.I still have a long way to go. I have lost all of my hope because I am not that good at programming. But when I finally enrolled in to the Technopreneur subject, I was changed when our facilitator Mr. Randy S. Gamboa oriented us for the first time. I was so head on in this subject, and I wanted to become a Technopreneur now. I was thinking about what Mr. Gamboa said to us, that we can be millionaires in just a short period of time a by just learning this subject compared on enrolling in a 4-year entrepreneurship course. I thought about what he said, and I guess he was right about that since all you need in this field is your brilliant mind. I find technorpreneurship as my only way out of poverty. I can see that becoming a technopreneur might be my true destiny. I can see myself as a young technopreneur who is still struggling to adapt on my surrounding. And, in many years, I can see myself as a tech giant, having a billions in my bank account. A tech mogul who rained down a lot of innovations that helped millions and millions of people. And most of all, I can see myself as a leader, helping other people and inspiring them.

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

People nowadays are having such a great fondness of their idols or role models. They idolize them because of what made them that way, or what have been to. And that causes to inspire people and motivate them. With that, a question that is commonly asked, so common that we always hear about it everytime. That question I am referring to is “Would like to follow *insert name here*’s footsteps?” or it could be “Will you take the same as what *insert name here* took?”. People kept on asking that, and I do not know why. If they mean to follow their footsteps to success, then fine. But, taking the same path as they took, doing the same thing they did, like got drop out of school and become a billionaire all of a sudden? Then, no. Why would people ask that to another people? Why are they asking them if they want to live behind someone’s shadow? I do not know. But if you would ask me if will I take the same career path Steve Jobs took, then no. Why? I will tell you why.

I do not want or wish to take the same path career as what Steve Jobs took. Steve Jobs is too mainstream, he is all over everywhere. He is all over the news, TV, internet articles and many to mention. The world knows him for founding Apple and made it one of the most successful companies of all. He later had his fame, glory and popularity went off the roof after he introduced the iPod to world. People liked him and praised him for doing a good job. But, when he introduced the iPhone and iPad series. The people went nuts about it. They were like cavemen who has been amazed by the discovery of fire. His popularity was tripled, the more praising he received from other people. The people looked at him like a god that gave people something new. People are going crazy about him. They wanted to be the next Steve Jobs, they wanted to become the next CEO of Apple, etcetera, etcetera. But for me, it so exaggerated. For me, Steve Jobs was an overrated person. I mean, there are lots of other people who did greater things than him, but still they had their eyes on Steve Jobs. I do not want to take the same of path of the man left and dumped his girlfriend and his daughter, cause of the reason which he only knows what it was. I do not want to take the same of path of the man who was a total jerk to his employee and his teams. But there is one thing for sure, I do want to take the same path of the man who made his small garage team into a multi-billion company. Despite of his horrible attitude that a lot of people did not know, I admit that he is a brilliant man. He does not know how to program, he is not an engineer, but he manage to turn his team of four into a company that known worldwide. We know that Steve Jobs have his friend, Steve Wozniak on his side ever since before Apple was born. Wozniak made the god stuffs, but the problem is that Wozniak does not know how to talk effectively to people. That is where Steve Jobs’ part comes. Wozniak said that it is Steve Jobs who does the talking of the time. It is very amazing. Wozniak plays the instrument, while Steve Jobs plays the orchestra. Steve Jobs did anything to make Apple become a huge company. He poured his efforts to find a financial assistance from banks, which he got rejected for countless times before Mike Markkula came and. Eveything went great until Steve Jobs was tearing the company down due to his actions. John Sculley said the he is not a good leader. They had a clash, and that clash ended having Steve Jobs fired at his own company.

But, let us look at the things that would summarize Steve Jobs’ life. His life had its ups and downs. So, going back to the question. Will I take the same career path Steve Jobs took? Well, for me it is a No no. Why? It is because that I want to have my own career path. I want to be known as me, not just a guy who lives behind the shadow of Steve Jobs. And in order to do that, I must have to make that career path on my own. When I was in high school, I love to edit videos, along with editing photos. I love to do visual effects. And by doing that hobby, it made me realized that I wanted to become a director. I want to make movies. I want the people to know me as the director who does not want any clichéd plot lines, shallow plot, exaggerated things. I want the people to know me as the director who respects the traditional way of telling a plot. Where there little to no clichés, where it does not need to be an expensive movie to deliver a good plot. I do not want the people to remember me as the next James Cameron or the next Michael Bay. I do not want to be compared with Michael Bay. Many people think that Michael Bay is a great and amazing actors. He was known for directing Pearl Harbor, and the Transformers franchise. But for me, Michael Bay is overrated.  He does not make any good movies at all. He really depends heavily in action sequences and explosions, unnecessary explosions for the viewers’ yes to feast. And the sad fact is that a lot of people loves it regardless of how boring and uninteresting the plot is. Well, that does not work for me. A good movie does not depend on cheesy action sequences or explosion fest. I will become a director that Hollywood will remember for my uniqueness.

And if in terms in the field of Technopreneurship, I would love to be the reason why people have their ears ringing. When I said that I do not want to become the next Steve Jobs, or I do not want to take same career path as what he took, I am saying is that I do not want to copy him or to be like him as much as possible. And if we are talking about the concept of Steve Jobs being successful then, I’m good. As what I have said, I want to make a career path on my own. I want to make a name in this field. I want the people to remember that Marijune M. Alejo is a legend. If I become a technopreneur, I would sell products that would solve the people’s problems, and I would also sell products for the entertainment of oneself. Of course I will start like how Steve Jobs have started, I would start small. I will work hard and focus more about the society’s problem and work hard on it to solve it in any means. Could be a device, an app, or anything. As soon as my team is growing up, I will do all my best to manage them. But, our facilitator, Mr. Randy S. Gamboa said that, you do not manage people. You only manage things. So, to make it relevant to what Mr. Gamboa said, when my team will start to grow up and big, I will “lead” them to do their tasks properly since it is a new world, it is much a bigger world. And, one thing that I would never do is to divide the team into to or into any possible. As you can see in the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs divided the Apple employees in to two, the Apple II team and the Macintosh II team and led them to fight each other. That brought a huge disturbance to the balance of the company. It knocked off the company’s balance. Just like Steve Wozniak said in the movie, Steve Jobs was tearing the company apart. That’s why, I would do my best to keep my employees work together with the other teams and encourage the essence of team work. I would never do the same thing, cause if there is one thing that would keep my company strong, it is that keeping them unified. My company will focus on promoting innovations. Innovation that would solve the society’s problem as I have mentioned. And of course. I will not forget to start campaigns or raise a charity those who are in need once our company will grow. I want the people to remember that there are still those people who are willing to help, and I believe that doing this is like giving back to the people who helped you. I know that my explanation sounds like a contradictory to my answer. Of course, we cannot avoid to end up doing the same thing as others, but what we can do is that, we can do it in a different or much better way than the others.