Silicon Gold Rush: The Next Generation of High-Tech Stars Rewrites the Rules of Business - Hardcover

Southwick, Karen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471246468 ISBN 13: 9780471246466

Publisher: Wiley, 1999

Synopsis

A hotbed of activity for far-sighted thinkers and determined doers, the high technology industry has given rise to a pioneering group of entrepreneurs and executives which is not only behind today's most innovative technological advances, but at the forefront of a dynamic new movement in business. Armed with groundbreaking management philosophies and practices, the members of this visionary group are changing the way corporate structures are modeled and altering conventional conceptions of how companies should be run. Having helped their own organizations survive and thrive in a highly competitive, pressure-filled arena, they offer invaluable lessons for executives and managers in all industries. Now, in Silicon Gold Rush, their inspirational stories are told and their strategies for success revealed.

Written by Karen Southwick, editor of Upside Magazine's book division, this enlightening behind-the-scenes account spans the gamut of emerging technology management styles, from proven successes such as Cisco Systems to new kids on the block like Crossworlds Software. Providing valuable insights into a myriad of key issues, from nurturing creativity and motivating employees to finding new markets and weathering tough times, Silicon Gold Rush examines the modi operandi of the technology world's emerging stars and heavyweights.

The book reveals the maverick leadership techniques that are finding their way into mainstream corporate culture with far-reaching consequences. As Southwick points out: "Everywhere you look today, you will see older companies and those in traditional industries adopting the organizational structures, business strategies, and operational methods of the Silicon Valley gang. . . . [These] technology companies are changing more than the markets in which they operate, they are transforming the way America does business." Along with an overview of the high-tech environment, Silicon Gold Rush delivers in-depth coverage of the changing role of the high-tech CEO, the growing importance of the customer in the development and marketing processes of technology companies, the essentials of internal corporate organization, and the increasing frequency of mergers and alliances.

To illustrate the dynamics of the technology industry that make it so exciting and instructive to watch-the scramble for financing, the feverish move of product from design to delivery, the constant risk of failure-it tracks the progress of CrossWorlds Software Inc., a start-up venture headed up by Katrina Garnett, founder and chief executive. Delivering insider analysis of the thinking and motivations that drive today's cyber-Powerhouses, this eye-opening volume presents illuminating interviews with more than twenty trailblazing CEOs and senior executives, including Yahoo!'s Tim Koogle, 3Com's Eric Benhamous, PeopleSoft's Dave Duffield, Cisco's John Chambers, and Novell's Eric Schmidt.

A one-of-a-kind book that delves into the management ideas and strategies of high-tech leaders who are "rewriting the rules of business," Silicon Gold Rush is essential reading for anyone-in any industry-seeking the inside track on contemporary business transformations.

About this title

Review:

The fortunes generated by America's technology companies--from Hewlett Packard to PeopleSoft--have created tremendous pressure to generate more fortunes. These financial windfalls have resulted from efforts to identify markets that haven't yet been served, create products for those markets, build a dominant position, and then maintain that market share by continually improving the original product while also pursuing new avenues of enrichment. Silicon Gold Rush looks at this new business model and the management style that makes it possible. Gone is hierarchical management. If a new idea can't be implemented until it's gone up a ladder of managers and committees, then there's no point in bothering; a competitor with less bureaucracy will beat you to the market with something similar.

Besides flattening out management structures, high-tech companies have also created an entirely new take on employee relations. The engineer or programmer or salesperson walking out the door at the end of the day carries the future of the business in his or her head. Give that person a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum, and in a wink he or she is working for your competitor. Karen Southwick presents this new business paradigm in plain English, attaching useful, if sometimes bizarre, examples of how real companies deal with these issues. For example, a valued engineer at one company didn't like working in a cubicle--he needed a quieter space. To keep him happy, his company, Ipsilon Networks, built a roof over his cubicle, and gave him a door with a working doorbell. One can't imagine General Motors or Chase Manhattan Bank going this route, but who knows? This may be the model for 21st-century business, and companies that don't learn it could be doomed to the tar pits of commercial history. --Lou Schuler

From the Back Cover:

Hotbed of activity for farsighted thinkers and determined doers, the high-technology industry has given rise to a pioneering group of entrepreneurs and executives that is not only behind today's most innovative technological advances, but at the forefront of a dynamic new movement in business.

Armed with groundbreaking management approaches, the members of this visionary group are changing the way companies are modeled and offering new ideas on how companies should be run. Having helped their own organizations survive and thrive in a competitive, pressure-filled arena, they offer invaluable lessons for executives and managers in all industries. Now, in Silicon Gold Rush, their inspirational stories are told and their strategies for success revealed.

Written by Karen Southwick, editor of Upside Magazine's book division, this enlightening behind-the-scenes account spans the gamut of emerging technology management styles, from proven successes such as Cisco Systems to new kids on the block like PeopleSoft. Providing valuable insights into a myriad of key issues, from nurturing creativity and motivating employees to finding new markets and weathering tough times, Silicon Gold Rush examines the modi operandi of the technology world's emerging stars and heavyweights. The book reveals the maverick leadership techniques that are finding their way into mainstream corporate culture with far-reaching consequences.

Along with an overview of the high-tech environment, Silicon Gold Rush delivers in-depth coverage of the changing role of the high-tech CEO, the growing importance of the customer in the development and marketing processes of technology companies, the essentials of internal corporate organization, and the increasing frequency of mergers and alliances. To illustrate the dynamics of the technology industry that make it so exciting and instructive to watch-the scramble for financing, the feverish move of product from design to delivery, the constant risk of failure-it tracks the progress of CrossWorlds Software, Inc., a start-up venture headed up by Katrina Garnett, founder and chief executive.

Delivering insider analysis of the thinking and motivations that drive today's high-tech powerhouses, this eye-opening book presents fascinating interviews with more than twenty trailblazing CEOs and senior executives, including Yahoo!'s Tim Koogle, 3Com's Eric Benhamou, PeopleSoft's Dave Duffield, Cisco's John Chambers, and Novell's Eric Schmidt.

A one-of-a-kind book that delves into the management ideas and strategies of high-tech leaders who are "rewriting the rules of business," Silicon Gold Rush is essential reading for anyone-in any industry-seeking the inside track on contemporary business transformations.

KAREN SOUTHWICK is a veteran journalist who has covered the high-tech industry extensively. Formerly executive editor of Upside Magazine, she is currently editor of Upside's book division.

"A great read! Silicon Gold Rush offers the reader insights on what drives Silicon Valley, the most innovative and aggressive center of new business creation in the world."-Tim Koogle, CEO, Yahoo!

"Silicon Gold Rush is a handbook for information-age entrepreneurs. If you want to avoid becoming roadkill, read this book."-Eric Nee, Silicon Valley Bureau Manager, Forbes.

"A terrific book! Silicon Gold Rush captures the energy and urgency of the high-tech world in this clear look at innovative management styles and challenges."-Dave Duffield, President and CEO, PeopleSoft.

"The technology industry has produced the greatest explosion of wealth in history and triggered enormous changes in the way we live and do business. Silicon Gold Rush gives its readers a penetrating glimpse into the world of the high-tech entrepreneur."-Don Valentine, Founder, Sequoia Capital.

"Silicon Gold Rush captures the many qualities that are creating the new digital economy."-Ann Winblad, Cofounder, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0471246468
• ISBN 13: 9780471246466
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256