Assignment no. 1

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

Success has nothing to do with prestige symbols, but with creative accomplishment. As stated by Maxwell Maltz in his book “A new way to get more living out of life.”


“Rightly speaking no man should attempt to be "a success," but every man can and should attempt to be "successful." Trying to be "a success" in terms of acquiring prestige symbols and wearing certain badges leads to neuroticism, and frustration and unhappiness. Striving to be "successful" brings not only material success, but satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness.”



What are the factors that contribute to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur in the film Pirates of the Silicon Valley? Before anything I will give a short elaboration or a plot of the said movie.

It talks about the making of the first personal computer as well as the other creations of the companies Apple and Microsoft. It is also being shown in here the ambiguous origins of the said companies and their public battle for corporate supremacy. The succeeding development of the IBM-PC through the help of Bill Gates, the then unknown CEO of the Microsoft and the development of the Apple company is also being specified in the film.

Steve Jobs (played by Noah Wyle) is the leading character in the movie. He who started the company named Apple, created first computer named Lisa and a machine called Macintosh succeeded and afterwards failed in his chosen career. It is made possible to Steve Jobs with the help of his friend Steve Wozniak. It started when the two Steve’s put up a business in a garage but unfortunately did not succeeded as their competitor which known to be the IBM produce new PC’s. Then it was followed by their new creation the Lisa a computer with a modern graphical user interface which later happens to be another failure. However, there came a great break in their career as they worked on a new machine which they called the Macintosh. . During the time of reorganization of the Apple Company, the division called the SuperMicro was being formed by the merged teams of the Macintosh and Lisa. It is said that they borrowed the key concept of their creation from a Xerox computer laboratory. It leads Steve Jobs and the company into the height of its line of business. Unluckily, Steve Jobs’ unwanted character pulls him down as he loses a bitter battle over the control with the Apple’s CEO John Sculley.

It can be said that Steve Jobs is one of the most successful technopreneur of his generation. The story of how he succeeded is very well-known to everybody especially to those people whose business is in line with computers. He’s enthusiasm and love in his work enables him to achieve what he had attained. Jobs once said in the movie:

 “The only way to do great work is to love what you do,” and “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” Loving what you do is one of the key that Steve Jobs used.

- http://www.bukisa.com

His will towards his works was incredibly amazing.  He is far more dedicated in his work with regards to computers rather than making money out of it. Everything that Jobs has ever done in his career has suggested that he loves great products more than market share. Another factor which contributed a lot to his triumph is being innovative. He is able to conceive new things out of what he had observed in his environment. He’s passion in discovering new gadget directs him to the midst of success in his preferred career. It is also an edge for him to have a friend like Steve Wozniak considering that this friend of him is blessed with knowledge when it comes to computers. Steve Jobs being a sharp-eyed person seized an opportunity after seeing Wozniak’s computer works. One more thing is that being an optimistic person, it plays a great part for him to dig up victory in business competition.

Unfortunately his fate is not as good to him because his property and everything he invested had vanished with just a blink of an eye. What’s worse in this is that he was being fired by someone whom he employed in his own company. All of these are merely because of his repulsive attitude. One this is being mischievous. Steve Jobs made things much more badly during the time of their first meeting of the new division which is mentioned earlier by making an announcement that the Lisa team “really fucked up”. Another aspect that gives way to his downfall is being too self-centered which came to a point that he roughly ignored the work of his team. He had straight away alienated few of the best assets on the company, those talented engineers, brilliant programmers and artistic designers. He also had stunned members of his own team. Every output of each of his employee seemed to be very dreadful for him. This manner of Jobs that is being a perfectionist and tactlessness rule over him throughout his leadership in the company that is why he did not able to keep his position. By that time John Sculley, who had been the CEO for almost a year permitted him to stay for the reason that Jobs is still the chairman and has possess the largest share. Moreover, he is a kind of person who simply gives his trust to anybody that surrounds him which causes him to fail. He directly invests his reliance to a business partner without further investigation just like what happened when Bill Gates offers to be his business associate.

To summarize it all, Steve Jobs’ technopreneurial skills brings him to the peak of success. It enables him to make a history in the field of modern technology. When it comes into the world of computers I can really say that Steve Jobs is an icon, he is legendary in his accomplishment. However, the vile attitude of Jobs pulls him down and worse, he who starts building the company with his knowledge and skills later on become only an employee and being fired at the end.



2. How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?

Technopreneurship, a thought that directly comes into my mind when I heard this word is having a business with the use of technology and a technopreneur is the one or a person who is involved in it. In order to make things clear let us define technopreneurship.

“Technopreneurship is not a product but a process of synthesis in engineering the future of a person, an organization, a nation and the world. A technoprenuer is an entrepreneur who is technology savvy, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path, and very passionate about their work. They take challenges and strive to lead their life with greater success. They don't fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technoprenuers continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy.”

            @ http://technopreneurship.wordpress.com


Before, I did not consider my self as a technopreneur not even an entrepreneur in any ways. It is because when I once attended a seminar about entrepreneurship one of the speakers there said that in order to become a successful entrepreneur you have to be a risk taker and I cannot regard myself as one. I have many fears in many things that surround me. Just as I have thought that if I will engage myself in business I will fail. Every time I think of myself entering the world of business there will always emerged so many questions in my mind. How would I start? What if I will not succeed what will happen to my investments? What if I can’t follow the latest trend? These are only few of all the questions I have formulated in mind when talking about entrepreneurship. I really don’t have the guts of being a business woman considering that I have already many experiences about this, I have attended seminars in our school or even in national seminars with some of the successful business personalities in our country as the speakers. To site some examples are Mr. Rey Gapus the owner of R.A. Review Center which has a number of branches all over the Philippines and the owner or the manufacturer of the Kettle Corn but suddenly I forgot who was that person. I formerly became a president in one of our organization way back high school. This club deals with entrepreneurship. It serves as a starting ground for those students who wanted to be a businessman or woman in the near future. We are even being exposed to actual entrepreneurial activities. But then again I have already graduated yet I was not fully convinced to be one. It is such that I don’t think I have enough knowledge, skills and ability to run certain business.


As I watched the movie Pirates of the Silicon Valley which talks about the two people making their names as a successful technopreneur in their generation. The character of Steve Jobs inspires me and made me think if I will be like him someday. Not like him as a failure but Steve Jobs as a successful technopreneur. I admire him because of his love and determination in his works and on how he uses his knowledge to develop something, something that makes a great impact in our modern technology.


 I was not that completely motivated and I’ve never been interested in entrepreneurship not until this subject TECHNOPRENERSHIP is being introduced to me. During the first meeting of this class I feel like being stuck up again in a situation where I have been during my years in high school but then as our facilitator discusses about Technopreneurship the involvement of technology in entrepreneurship I feel like being enlightened. I thought I can’t find myself in this field but what I thought was wrong. Everything changes and one thing did change for me; that is my vision about myself in a business. Realization came into my mind that I can be a technopreneur someday. Just like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates I will make my own way of building a business not only a simple one but a kind of industry that will be remarkable to anybody.



Even if as of now I still don’t have enough knowledge and skills but I know within me that I have the potential. I believe that it is a step by step process and I still have lot things to learn and discover. As we have discussed in our lesson to be a good technopreneur one should possess the following characteristics willing to listen, sets-own standards, hard-working, risk-taker, goal-oriented, self consistent , profit-oriented and persistent. A technopreneur is the one who listens and is aware to the comings and goings in his environment; he is wise enough to set his own principles and will not just depend on the others he must learn to stand on his own. He must be diligent enough because he who sets up his own business will be the one who will work for it. Being a risk taker is also one of the most important factors to be learned but he must not just be a risk taker it is important to note that he must be a “computed risk-taker” as what our facilitator explained which is awfully right. It is also essential that you are aware of your goal which is to succeed. Remember that in this world where competition is everywhere there is no place for second, always aim for the best. Finally, a real technopreneur is the one who sees that in every crisis there is an opportunity.


At present, I can see myself as the next Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google and all other technopreneur who make their owns names in the world of business.

With a strong sense of determination and a continual encouragement I am certain that I can and I will be a good technopreneur someday.




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

A kind of career that Steve Jobs took is not as simple as we think. Taking into a consideration that he has the knowledge, skills and the ability to become successful in a line of business where he is in. He is wise enough to choose a certain kind of profession. To understand it further we must first answer this question: what kind of career path did Steve Jobs took?

Steve Jobs chooses to be a technopreneur. With great determination and better vision for the future he started his own company together with his friend Steve Wozniak in his garage. The combination of their abilities Jobs’ obsession to computers and Wozniak’s engineering creates a revolutionizing force in the world of computers.They started with a successive failure but later on, with a positive outlook they continue to pursue their goal and finally became the CEO of Apple computers and CEO and Chairman of Pixar in which the product of these company. He was only 21 years old when he established the company. Jobs turned out to be a leader and an innovator in the global computer, electronics and software industry.

If I were to be asked either to take the same career path that Steve Jobs took or not, I think I would say somehow yes. In one way or another and taking into a consideration the path I have chosen I am already taking the path as what Steve Jobs took.  I can compare myself to him on his insight about technopreneurship. He has a positive view about his business and so do I. It is such that he is already a technopreneur yet I am still a student who is trying to be a good entrepreneur or a technopreneur someday. Just like him I optimistically envision myself managing my own business which is of course in line with the modern technologies. It took him so much time and effort in order to reach the top of success. He is exceptionally strong-minded with his works and he always makes the best out of what he had observed in his environment. Jobs elaborated few lines that are very remarkable for me because these are the lessons or the philosophy he uses to become successful. These are as follows:


“You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future, you have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

@ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/568/summary.php

The most notable among those lines is this: “Innovation is the distinction between a leader and a follower.”

I can say that somehow I wanted to take the same path because I also regard my capabilities of doing things. There are still many things that I didn’t know and still have to learn more. Examples of these are how to be a good technopreneur and the characteristics that one should possess to become a successful. I am not that innovative and creative as Steve Jobs which plays an important role form him to reach his triumph. As we all know in today’s knowledge-based economy, in order to survive as a technopreneur one must be knowledgeable and skillful especially when it comes to the modern technology. Nowadays, when talking about business the product of technologies such as computers, internet and other more has become a need. The more you are updated with the latest developments and/or applications, the faster you will obtain success. Technology and business are about to be interconnected with each other. The one who knows how to use technological trends in the right way and he who spots it directly is the one that standout over his rivals in the industry he is in.

However, there is one side in his journey towards his career which I don’t want take in the future. This is when Steve Jobs came to a point of ruining his life and career. He sunk from prosperity because of his attitude that he even forgot how to deal with other people in his surroundings. He became insensitive of his words and actions which I think one of the reasons why it is said that the idea being used in developing the Macintosh was stolen by Bill Gates that he also used in creating windows.

Thus, with this fact I can say that in some ways I would love to choose the same career path with Steve Jobs. However, each and every one of us has different wants and unique passion in life it’s just how we handle it. It depends on us whether to choose between success and failure. Achieving success is not that simple. It requires different things this means struggling different kinds of difficulties and of course surpassing it. We have to manage to visualize our success, planning the road to this achievement is a must. We must go beyond our imagination. Do not just think, reflect on it. Think different. Be able to do things exceptionally. Don’t be afraid to fail make it a motivation to go on with your work. Just like Steve Jobs even though failure strikes him at first still he keep on with his works and look what he become. Now, he is one of the most successful technopreneur in this generation.

We can associate a technopreneur to an entrepreur. An article shows the characteristic that makes up today’s entrepreneur. These are:

Entrepreneurs have passion for what they do in life.

Entrepreneurs express a great amount of enthusiasm in their line of work.

Entrepreneurs are goal-oriented in their quest to reach their desired outcomes.

Entrepreneurs have a creative imagination when it comes to their ideas in business.

Entrepreneurs have a positive attitude when it comes to building their business and business relationships.

Entrepreneurs are very quick decision-makers in their business endeavors and ideas.

From: http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/460/how-to-become-a-successful-entrepreneur/

We must possess these characteristics in order to attain success. Failure may come into our way but consider this as an encouragement.