Inspirations from HP Way!
I owe a lot to my first company, Hewlett-Packard! It was such an open, employee-first, innovative company. I am glad that I started my career with HP. I was taught values, principles, teamwork, and innovation very well. I was fortunate to have had great mentors, managers, and leaders who valued spending time with their employees. Coming from Tamil Nadu as a fresher, my mentors welcomed me as their own family member and taught me Kannada. My understanding of Kannada is rooted in those early days.
Lab Directors used to visit each and every team member’s workplace and wish them a happy New Year! There were so many cultural programs that kept us together as a family. Everyone was well respected in the company, regardless of their level. There was a special drive to generate IPs from India. Huge thanks to Subbu, who elevated the India center from purely CPE to a Value Generating Trusted Partner to Global HP.
When I revisit HP’s Rules of the Garage, I still get goosebumps! Here are those 11 rules:
- Believe you can change the world.
- Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, work whenever.
- Know when to work alone and when to work together.
- Share — tools, ideas. Trust your colleagues.
- No Politics. No bureaucracy. (These are ridiculous in a garage.)
- The customer defines a job well done.
- Radical ideas are not bad ideas.
- Invent different ways of working.
- Make a contribution every day. If it doesn’t contribute, it doesn’t leave the garage.
- Believe that together we can do anything.
- Invent.
Whether it’s a latest AI company or a lean startup, we can easily fit them into these rules.
The leaders in HP inspired me to think about Entrepreneurship. When I look at where all my colleagues have gone, I am speechless! Most people went on to build companies that help many. Thanks to Hewlett and Packard for inspiring so many young people to get started! Really!
