Carly's Way (Hungarian Immigrant Engineer Describes HP Under Carly)

MIT Technology Review ^ | 4 March 2005 | Michelle Delio

[HolgerDansk]

As someone who has worked in corporate research (for DEC) in the computing industry, this guy's comments are spot on. The reality is that the great majority of practical innovations in use throughout the world originated in the United States, and that innovation has driven the US economy since WWII.

Until now.

The Clinton Administration killed off the bulk of government technology research funding ("corporate welfare", don'tcha know), while the current generation of Harvard MBAs views research as a double negative -- unpredictable and long-term. Since research is a 3-5 year pipeline at a minimum, nobody noticed at first. Well, the pipeline is now empty, which is a big reason we're losing the computing industry to overseas competitors.

[HolgerDansk]

Ping

[Just mythoughts]

DEC those were the good old days....

[Windsong]

Research is always a gamble. Sometimes it pays, sometimes it doesn't, and when it doesn't, companies often die a quick death.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Sounds just like the career path for media reporters. Join the Democrats or go nowhere in your career.

[hedgetrimmer]

Thanks for posting.

[KarlInOhio]

Now Fiorina's on the short list of people considered to head the World Bank. It looks like time to make some long term investments in gold, guns and groceries.

[Doohickey]

This article is so true of many companies, no matter what industry they're in. They forget what made them successful in the first place. Innovative products has been replaced with innovative marketing and packaging.

There's nothing wrong with making a buck, but make money NOW with little or no future vision is not sustainable.

[seadevil]

My guess is that in a hundred thousand or so garages around this country, another Bill Gates or Paul Allen or Steve Jobs is puttering around with something. The question isn't, "Will it happen?"....but rather, "What will be the affects when it does happen?"

[HolgerDansk]

Research is always a gamble.

True; however, it's part of maintaining a technology company. Hoping that your tech company won't need research is the strategic equivalent of holding your breath underwater in the hopes of evolving gills.

[Blueflag]

Three MALE co-workers of mine who left HP had very negative things to say about Carly's leadership, or alleged leadership and mgmt style.

It was all very touchy feely. They *really* cared.
It was very feminized.
Decisions were less important than communication and collaboration.
Efforts and intentions were rewarded more than outcomes and results.
It was also at the same time very Machiavellian (full of back-stabbing and comments made about you after the meeting was over.)

... AND they perceived it was a great place to be an ambitious female, not male.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I knew this Fiorina chick had some Hillarynesque tendencies. Watch as when the Queen make her presidential run she'll nominate Fiorina as her economic advisor or something.

[Windsong]

One can see this a lot in the video game world, where the suits will say "release the game next month, or lay off half your staff". End result: a game that sucks. This happened with a company called Ion Storm who closed its doors last month because their top two franchises, Deus Ex 2 and Thief: Deadly Shadows, were released *way* before they were ready. The fans weren't pleased, to say the least.

[HolgerDansk]

The question isn't, "Will it happen?"....but rather, "What will be the affects when it does happen?"

It won't happen without the other half of the equation, namely money. With VCs distracted by the prospects of overseas investing (China) and the easy money to be made by funding outsourcing efforts, it's a real challenge right now. And, VCs don't fund research.

[Clemenza]

Now Fiorina's on the short list of people considered to head the World Bank.

Shades of another "successful failure" by the name of Robert McNamara.

[evolved_rage]

And the competition's patent lawyers. I believe its common practice for a "so-called" tech partner with deep pockets to build a fence of patents around the original patent, thus restricting the original inventor. I saw it happen by big Asian companies--ba$tards!

[12 Gauge Mossberg]

Wow, powerful article. And it really sums up America as a whole.

Where are the risk-takers, the innovators, the can-doers? They've been replaced by PC-pushers, the group-thinkers, government handouts, and those who keep saying America's best days are behind us.

[Lead Moderator]

To prevent duplication, please do not alter the heading. Thanks.

[TheSpottedOwl]

To me, this rabid fixation on short-term profits is a bigger threat than outsourcing -- it is killing our ability to make astonishing things.

Great article. I never thought about the R&D part. I bought a HP Pavillion pc back in 2001. Worst pile of junk I've ever owned. 6 hard drives had to be replaced within a 2 year period. An HP for pete's sake. Term papers were lost :( I bought an eMachine this time.

The love of money is the root of all evil...

[yarddog]

I don't intend for this comment to be anti-feminist but there is not way to avoid it.

I have only had one female supervisor who did a good job, (she was very good btw), and I have noticed that women too seem to prefer a male supervisor.

The sexes are not all good at the same thing. Women do some things better and men other things. Management is one of them.