Frede Gibbons: Entrepreneurs must learn to strain

For students in the Department of Electrical Engineering and computer science at Stanford University, which is known as the entrepreneurial tradition, the business management class of 50 ~9 points per Tuesday, Wednesday 8 o'clock in the morning is definitely not to be missed. At Stanford University's 2008~2009 Spring Teaching assessment, the course received a high score of 4.73 (5 points).　　Some 2007-degree graduate students who like this course, on the pages of the course, there are evaluations such as "the essence of the Electronic engineering curriculum", "the course convinces me that I really should go to business", "the best course I've ever heard in Stanford class". Fred in this class. Dr. Gibbons (Fred Gibbons) is an advisor to the Institute of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. The popularity of the course is not unrelated to his previous professional background: He was one of the pioneers in the software industry, with Microsoft's gates and Apple's jobs as the most prestigious entrepreneurs in the 1980, and when he worked for Hewlett-Packard in the 1970 's, he was involved in developing PFS software, The software was known to help Apple Computer users manage a wide range of applications, and software Publishing Corporation (hereinafter "SPC"), founded in 1981, was one of the world's earliest software suppliers, and was launched 3 years later,　　is one of Silicon Valley's first listed High-tech companies, earlier than Microsoft. After retiring from the company in 1995, Gibbons became a lecturer at the Institute of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and later founded Yahoo's Jerry Yang and Larry, who founded Google. Peggy, who founded Hotmail, Shabir. Badia (Sabeer Bhatia) has listened to his teachings before starting a business.　　In 1999, Chambers left campus to run his previously established investment company, VENTURE-CONCEPT.2006, and returned to Stanford to become the highest-ranking advisor. Gibbons ' investment performance is equally expensive and legendary. He was Yahoo's first investor, the company that once was the world's largest portal, while another student, Larry. When Peggy came to look for an investment, he turned it down, and the company was already known as Google, the world's largest internet company. As successful entrepreneurs and investors, Gibbons now enjoys the pleasure of being an "entrepreneurial mentor." "Entrepreneurial State" magazine recently interviewed Professor Gibbons, sharing his experience over the years, and together explore the software and the Internet industry's future trends.　　[Page]　　The great change in the IT industry "venture State": The SPC you created in 1981 has been a big success and what are some of the key elements you feel you want to achieve in the software industry? Gibbons: I think the first thing to have insight is that not everyone can have it. At that time, the PC is a very new thing, people want to use it, but it takes time to become familiar with, so the software manufacturers to ensure that the product is simple and easy-to-use. I've been to the teamEmphasize this point. Of course there are some moves in marketing. For the software industry, retailers are very important, with good ideas, production of good products, there are channels to sell products. We've done a good job in this area, but we have some challenges, because Microsoft's Windows system is up, and when we don't make changes in time and market share is affected, it's hard to change.　　I think that entrepreneurs should be flexible and hold fast to new trends.　　"Entrepreneurial State": Microsoft is also under great pressure, then some of the hardware companies associated with Microsoft will be affected? Gibbons: I know there are many geniuses in Chinese history, and I learned from it that some wars have to be fought and some should be avoided. If customers turn to the Internet, then you should not only be loyal to Microsoft, you should be more loyal to the user, so that you can win the opportunity. These hardware companies will face huge challenges, but to survive they should make a change. As it turns out, Apple is changing from being a computer company to a consumer electronics company.　　Microsoft is in a tough time and must do something new.　　"Entrepreneurial State": Yahoo has also encountered a lot of trouble in recent years, how do you think? Gibbons: I think it's necessary to be realistic, although the CEO of this company has changed a few, but I find it hard to be brilliant again, perhaps jobs can do it. Any CEO who wants to save Yahoo is challenged because the business model changes and the market conditions are different. Yahoo is a portal site, but also provides search, it and Google's model is completely different.　　Many entrepreneurs face a similar challenge, that is, the first successful business ideas, but then slowly covered their eyes, do not want to see the changes around, but we have to change.　　"Entrepreneurial State": Review the development history of the software industry, what conclusions will you draw? Gibbons: Be sure to respond quickly to change. Microsoft upgraded its products from DOS to Windows, and then to various applications, which are changing. Software applications are now shifting from PCs to the Internet, and some companies are not paying attention to these trends and not responding in a timely fashion. Google is keen to launch a number of innovative products and has been changing.　　If you want to know what will happen in the future, you should look back.　　"Entrepreneurial State": You are the software industry ups and downs of the witness, how to view the future of the industry? Gibbons: The pattern of the software industry has changed a lot compared to the past, with many kinds of apps, but Microsoft controls the situation for the time being. What is happening now is that competition in the software industry is starting to focus on the Internet, and Salesforce.com is an example. Google is challenging Microsoft, which proposes that apps are free, so Microsoft is worried about its business model.　　When customers turn to Web apps, the company must transform itself to survive. "Entrepreneurial State": Which company do you think willBecome the next leader in the software and Internet arena? Gibbons: Microsoft has been a leader for 30 years and Google may be the front-runner for 20 years, and the next may be Facebook or MySpace, which is hard to determine. But I believe that companies like this in the next 10 years may also appear elsewhere in the world.　　[Page] Four elements of entrepreneur success "venture State": Do you think Silicon Valley can still maintain the status of global Technology innovation Center? Gibbons: I don't see any signs of change in the short term, but other areas of innovation are also developing. But we have to see that Silicon Valley has a long history, and when HP was founded, Silicon Valley had it, and it was 70 years old.　　I think that the formation of an innovation center is not a simple collection of some resources in the short term, other areas need some time accumulation and precipitation.　　"Entrepreneurial State": In the early 1980 you and Mr. Gates and jobs together to discuss the future of software, the impression of these two people? Gibbons: I knew them very early. Steve Jobs is a product-obsessed technical genius who focuses on the product experience. Take the ipod, for example, he didn't invent mp3, but the ipod's design and user interface are very good, very detail-oriented, so the product is successful. Gates is a great businessman, is good at insight into the industry, has the ability to create a large-scale international business, is a very vision, full of intelligent businessman.　　They all have great visions, great thinkers, and want to change the world.　　"Entrepreneurial State": In the past few decades, why did Stanford University have so many successful entrepreneurs? Gibbons: Early on, Stanford had some examples of successful entrepreneurs, and later students knew that someone was here to start a business, so they would learn how to start a business and be successful, and the resources of investors and lawyers were slowly coming together. Just as New York became the city of Finance and Los Angeles had Hollywood, every city had its own features. Now the people of Stanford University almost all want to start a business, and the school is very supportive.　　If you go to Boston, where there are MIT and Harvard, you will find that the atmosphere is very different from Stanford University.　　"Entrepreneurial State": What do you think you want to be successful in a start-up company on the road? Gibbons: A lot of smart technicians know the technology trends and have great ideas, but some of them may not have market demand. This involves timing, sometimes having to wait for the opportunity to mature. For example, PDA is a very good product, very early people do, the results did not big, in fact, to today the market is really appear. Even Google is an advanced idea, but they have been waiting, waiting for venture capital, of course, finally waiting for market opportunities.　　Facebook is a good example of timing, and when everyone on the internet needs to get closer, it comes up and meets the needs. Leadership and leadership should change at different stages, like my publicDivision as a public company, certainly need to change, I may no longer be the most suitable leader. As a company leader, keep learning, but also allow others to point out the error, the exit should be back.　　Gates never wanted to control Microsoft, and he chose Ballmer to replace him, and he was very conscious of the need to find someone to help him run the company. 3rd, as the company grows, pay attention to the changes, the market and the technology are changing, your ability must be upgraded to keep up with this trend of change.　　Salesforce.com to meet Oracle's competition and start providing database software on the Web, Microsoft has been responding to Google's competition. Finally, realize that you need the help of a partner, that no one can master all the necessary skills, and that the company's core team should have 2~3 people.　　Don't worry about a partner coming in Will split the company, the company to become strong, must have more partners, partnership must be strong, often from the perspective of partners to think.　　"Entrepreneurial State": You are a professor, but also an investor, or a very successful entrepreneur, how do you understand success? Gibbons: For me, success is doing what you are doing, so you will be different and feel happy. I now like reading, writing, thinking. Discover what you're good at, put your ideas into it, and enjoy every day.