CRITICAL CONDITION

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


As I watch the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley", First, I could not understand what they are doing, especially when Steve Paul Jobs and his friend Steve Wozniak are doing something I could never guess but when I watched it again with keen observation and full attention, I figured it out that Steve Jobs was trying to do something that changed his entire life. He is a business magnate and an inventor and because of it, he is a well known being.

By observing Steve Paul Jobs, the one who is the founder and chief executive officer of the Apple Company, there are factors that we could identify which contributed to his success and also to his failure as a technopreneur. First is he trusts his guts- Successful, independent-minded entrepreneurs know when to trust their gut. In other words, Steve Jobs is very confident to his skill, ability and determination. Self confidence is a key entrepreneurial skill for success. It is easy to become demoralized, frustrated and resentful if you lack self-confidence.
Self-confidence is concerned with how a person feels about his ability. A successful entrepreneur believes in his abilities. He is not scared to explore un-chartered territories, take risk and take difficult decisions. However, self – confidence is not a personal trait that either you have or you don't. A person can have high self-confidence in one situation and totally lack in another. This is one of those skills that can be developed by training. Intuition is a real form of knowledge. It’s a skill you can develop and strengthen — one that’s particularly valuable in the most chaotic, fluid business environments, when you must make critical and high- pressure decisions at a moment’s notice. Steve Jobs trust his instinct which also emboldens him to carry out new, untested ideas and ventures even when no one believes in him except for his partner. Second is he is an architect of the future – He continues to invent, invent and invent until he comes up an output that could satisfy him and to his friend. Third factor is He is a very hardworking man – He invents day and night even if it costs a much amount of money (as what I have seen in the movie “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”). He builds a company through his determination and with the help of his partner Steve Wozniak and this is a sign of a hardworking human being.
Another factor is Common Sense - Studies show that most successful businessmen consider common sense as the foundation of their success. Common sense is defined
as an ability to make sound judgments on the issues, which we encounter in everyday situations.
Successful entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs try to take full responsibility for their actions. They know that what they are today, and what they are going to be tomorrow, depend solely on themselves, as it is the outcome of their own choices and decisions. They are proactive people, who set goals, walk an extra mile to achieve them and rely, primarily, on their own resources and abilities. Last is being a Wiseman – He uses his head very well to improve his self as a technopreneur and a good businessman. He copies every information, details or even ideas no matter what it takes and this strategy made him successful in his business career.

“What goes up must come down” is a familiar saying or quotes to us human beings. Every businessman and technopreneur experiences hardships or even down fall and failure to their success.
Talking about Steve Jobs’ failure as a technopreneur is that he treats his employees like an animal. As a Co-founder in the Apple Company, he must handle and lead his employees carefully and wisely and must be aware that he will not hurt others’ feelings. Unfortunately, Steve registers his anger into an emotional level. He even shouts and discriminates all the workers that he would see. When it comes to family problem, Steve Jobs brings these problems in the office. He gives decisions very quick without thinking the risks of his decisions. He does not know how to appreciate the works of the programmers in the Apple Company. He often underestimates them and gives trash talks to them without having second thoughts that his words could drive them mad at him. I could still remember in the movie “Pirates of Silicon Valley”, where there is a man who wanted to apply or to work on the Apple Company, Steve Jobs is very sarcastic and does not care of the words he says to the new applicant. For him, all the manners he showed was just for fun and was just a joke. Another one for addition is when he did not admit that he has a commitment and responsibility to his girl friend and he also has a daughter. He just ignores the issue and problem against to his loved ones. He never faces them with courage, he often neglects these which results to a bigger problem and issue. He also takes advantages to other people especially in business. He is also a liar. Even though Steve Jobs is wise and knowledgeable, he met his rival which is Bill Gates, who also copied his Macintosh operating system. It is one of his biggest faults, which made him very angry and pushed him to his limit. He was being pirated by Bill Gates, since Bill copied some information in the Macintosh. He easily gives his trust to other people without having any little doubts that this person may become a traitor to him and to his business. He had given his trust to the person that caused his down fall to his career and to his life. And last, aside from being an irresponsible father to his daughter and a bad boyfriend, Steve Jobs is very short and hot tempered and also he is very senseless. His friends cannot deal with him easily because of his animalistic attitude. They always got a bad scene when they negotiate with Steve Jobs. It is another factor that contributes to his failure as a technopreneur.

2. How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?

Before I give my opinion in my self as a technopreneur, first let me define what a technopreneur is. According to my research, I’ve got a definition of technopreneur that best explains to those who do not under stand and for those who do not know what it is.

A technopreneur 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. Technopreneurs continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy. These definitions were taken from Rajesh Shakya, a person who helps others to become a good and successful technopreneur. Now, let us go back to my opinion or my idea on how I see my self as a technopreneur. To start it, what comes from my mind when I hear or compare my self as a technopreneur, Apple? Microsoft? Steve Jobs? Bill Gates? I wonder who they are or what they are. When I was in first year college, I am not familiar with them but later on, I was educated and learned their contributions to our technology. To tell it frankly, I think that I can not relate my self or I can not be a good entrepreneur. Want to know why? My reason is just simple, I just don’t like business. That’s it. My family was shocked when I confronted them that I hate business or any thing that is related or close to it because they wanted me to take a course about business or other course that is connected to it. But my self wouldn’t allow them to dictate me or force me to do such thing. My mind rebels to it because of one thing, I don’t like business. Even my close friends and class mates laughed at me when they have heard my reason. They also give some opinions to convince me or change my mind about having or dealing a business. Now a day, having a business is very very very normal, common and very important especially to our fast changing world where high technology is very common and was scattered in every corner in our place, community, country or even in the whole planet. Technology is the need of the day. The technological advancements have made society take a leap towards success. Every technological reform is a small step towards advancement. Every new invention in technology is a step towards progress of mankind. Centuries ago, hardly anyone would have even dreamt of working on a computer. Generations of the yester years would have hardly imagined being able to communicate with people on the other side of the globe. But there were some intelligent minds to dared to dream of such revolutionary discoveries and they made the 'impossible' into a possible. Ours as well as our future generations are lucky to be able to witness the technological reforms. We are fortunate enough to lead a life of luxury and comfort. Since ours are the times of technology, why not let the technological reform spread far and wide? Why not make the masses aware of the new technology? Why not equip the entire society with the knowledge of the new inventions in technology? The need to introduce technology at an early age in life, illustrates the importance of technology in our place. The fact that the importance of technology in our daily basis is undeniable has inspired scientists to make improvements from time to time through their invented tools and devices for us to use, just to make our lives easier. We always tend to make one step ahead. Technology can help not just with the present but also approximating the future. Many people say that through the high technology, we could get or earn money instantly and easily. When I watched the movie “The Pirates of Silicon Valley”, my views about business has changed a bit. Since our life today is a bit quite hard, having knowledge in technopreneur or technopreneurship is a great advantage to become a successful one nowadays. Despite of the benefits in having knowledge in technopreneur, still I was not convinced to like or pay any attention to business. I was a young child who grew up in a small municipality of Lupon. In my hometown, I haven’t seen any improvements in the technology and the people who also lived there are just simple and contented having a small wage and can have a meal three times a day. So it comes into my mind and asked my self a question, “Why do we need to study or relate our self to it?” Because my innocent mind insists that people could live happily and contented without being involving their selves or making their selves as a good technopreneur. Since I came from a middle class family, my needs and wants are just very simple. I don’t desire to earn more or much money just to satisfy my wants. As I took up the subject technopreneur, first I was puzzled when I knew that it was all about business. I never imagined that I am studying to become a good technopreneur someday. When I learned the character traits of a technopreneur, I laughed at myself I don’t know if I am happy or upset because I only found few traits that I could relate to become a technopreneur. I also get upset when our instructor tells us to think of a unique business or something because my mind won’t work easily with that because as I have mentioned earlier that I hate business. For now, I am just giving my self more and more time thinking if I could learn to bear with technopreneurship and also I am giving my self a break and think other things. Maybe, if the time comes, my mind would change its mindset and I will start to like it though I think its impossible.

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

Each and every one of us is unique; before I answer the question “Would you take the same career path that Steve Jobs took”, First and foremost let us have a short discussion on Steve Jobs career path. Most of us do not what was the story behind of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates unless we have researched some facts, details or in formations about these people. If all of us have seen the movie “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”, we could understand and realize the big contributions they have given to our technology and to the world of business. Also if we observed and watched closely with full attention, we could identify the career path that Steve Jobs took. As I could remember in the movie “Pirates of the Silicon Valley”, Steve Job’s character is very rare like with the other person I have seen. I admit that Steve Jobs is very intelligent person, he has a brilliant mind and also he has lots of brilliant ideas, he has also a unique talent where other human beings don not have. Aside from being brilliant minded in terms of technology such as computers and others, he is well skilled and has a great determination to pursue the task that he has started. He is also a risk taker but he is smart and a wise man even though he easily gives trust to other person. I believe and agreed that because of these characteristics, the will, the quality he has made him a successful business man in the world of industry and in the world of high technology. Even though he his very genius in inventing something from nothing, I cannot find a detail that he is a nerd one or he is paranoid of doing and inventing some things that I cannot imagine. I salute him for what he is today and I appreciate him a lot. Now, let us go back to the main topic, “will I took the same career path that Steve Jobs selected?” May be for today, I cannot give a solid and concrete answer. But as a student who is required to answer these given questions to avoid from getting an incomplete grade, my answer is partly yes. Why? I like the way he handled his problems and the obstacles that crossed his path. But some of his attitudes, characteristic and quality do not fit to me or I do not have. Yes I like the path he took; I admit to myself that he is very intellectual and has a grand gift of being a risk taker that lead and brought him to his top most of his success. My other half part of his answer is no, why? Because I do not like the way he faced his duties and responsibilities especially to his girl friend and to his daughter, and aside from his family, he has a problem also in handling his employees in the company. I don’t want also to experience the cross roads he experienced, the downfall and the failure to his career as an intelligent technopreneur and a wise businessman. Until now, I could not still figure out what was the path he took but I am sure that he made a right and correct decision about it. For me, I would rather choose other path that fits to my abilities and quality that I think would also brought me to my success or even my failure. I want also to take some risk to prove not just to my family and friends but also to myself because I want to test my ability to handle many types of problems and to seek a solution to solve it. As far as I could remember, my uncle told me some time ago, I am not sure when he said that, but as I could remember he said to me that whenever I had a problem, even if it is big or small or even more complicated to imagine, don’t ever or never try to fight it. He advised me to seek solution to solve it because when we fight our problems and obstacles, we cannot resolved it and it may just cause to make the problem more complicated or even it may turn into a worse situation. I agree that Steve Jobs’ profession is not easy to follow, though it may result to a victory if you succeed or else a failure if you fail to accomplish it. As what the people commonly says that Steve Jobs is a master of innovation, amazing, outstanding, simple and ordinary but has an intellectual skill which is very unique to each and every one of us. Many of us want to own a company, especially to those who is very business minded. But as a student, I want to create and choose my own path so that I could prove to my self and to other people that I could become a successful one some day in my own path and in my own ways. May be I am acting that I am a loner or I am a self centered person, but what ever they think of me, it does not matter. I do not need any plaque of recognitions, medals, awards, shiny cars and watch, or even own a mansion. My goal in my life is to enjoy everything I could see and hear and enjoy what I experience. To take my own profession or my career, I just need to improve my self discipline, my will to survive and strive hard, my determination and my capability to resist every struggles I encounter in every day life. So for a straight answer, I admire the path that Steve Jobs took, but I think I must find another path on my own where I could learn things through my own experiences. I know that creating a first step is one of the hardest parts, and also it is very hard to start after a period. So my answer is no, I would not want to took the same path as what Steve Jobs took.