The Triumph of the Nerds Video Analysis Report

Abstract Statement

The article presents the evolution of computers and their operating systems. It shows how the once dominating company IBM introduced Microsoft into America’s tech industry and later a fallout which resulted in Microsoft being one of the largest software companies in the world (oldthings1000, 2015). It highlights the different factors that led to the fallout between IBM and Microsoft and how different working cultures influenced the success of the two companies. Although IBM is still a big company, it lost a large market share to Microsoft for its over-dependence on Microsoft to develop its operating systems.

Speaker’s Main Points

One of the main points that the speaker passes through is that it is good always to seize opportunities. When IBM was seeking an operating system, they had two options that they could choose from: a 23-year school dropout, Bill Gates, and Gary Kildall, a Ph.D. holder and founder of Digital Research (oldthings1000, 2015). However, when approached by IBM, Gary gave them a cold welcome, which pushed them to the other only available option, Bill Gates. Bill Gates took up the challenge and developed an operating system for IBM, which helped them to introduce their first computer in the world. This move introduced Bill Gates to the large US tech market that only trusted IBM by then.

The other main point is that commitment and determination are crucial to success. Despite Bill Gates having a small company, his commitment made the company one of the biggest software sellers around the globe. In one instance, the author states that Bill Gates had to be reminded that he needed to take a shower after a few days of non-stop work to solve a functional problem in his company (oldthings1000, 2015). Additionally, Bill Gates was continually committed to his company such that even though Microsoft was already a large company, he still is keen to know what was happening in the market and keep up with the latest technological trends to keep his company updated.

My Opinion of The Speaker’s Points

I agree with the author on the importance of seizing opportunities. Based on Bill Gates’s success compared to Gary Kildall, it is evident that seizing opportunities is great. Gary was a Ph.D. holder, and IBM preferred his operating system more than Bill Gates; however, his pride took away the offer, and he is now nowhere close to Bill Gates in terms of technological success (oldthings1000, 2015). When Microsoft had the opportunity to hold on to IBM, the largest tech company, they seized the opportunity and made sure that their operating system came into the limelight through the tech giant. The video states,” Microsoft had to hold on to the big bear” to gain its market share (oldthings1000, 2015). This opportunity enabled Microsoft to be a successful company even after breaking the ties with IBM because they had used the opportunity of their partnership to brand themselves.

I agree with the author that commitment is needed to achieve success. Most successful people have to stay focused on their job and even find very less time to enjoy their success because they are always on the watch out. For instance, Elon Musk had to sleep in his Tesla Company for a few weeks when developing the Tesla Model X (Contributor, 2019). Despite being a billionaire, Bill Gates had to keep a close eye on his company and run it to ensure that he was not outshined in the market. Bill Gates preferred hiring fresh graduates from school who had not worked in any other company because they had fresh ideas and, therefore, could be more committed to the projects of Microsoft.

Social or Ethical Issues

One of the main ethical issues in this article was reverse engineering. Reverse engineering is trying to understand a device and how it was made to create a similar product. The ethical issue is regarding the patent rights of directly copying one’s technology and using it to create a similar product (oldthings1000, 2015). IBM experienced the challenge of imitation because they had not made the components themselves and therefore did not own the copyright of the microchips and other components used to create their computer. However, although they owned the chip that connected the CPU to the monitor, competitors could still write the code and reproduce it. Therefore, the ethical issue in this scenario was imitating a product and making an exactly new product for the market, which is considered unethical in business.

Ten Nuggets Useful from This Article

1. It is crucial to seize opportunities
2. Commitment is key to achieving set goals
3. It is essential to licensing the technology to avoid imitation by competitors.
4. Working with young brains proves to be more effective than with older brains.
5. The best way to stay ahead of the competition in the tech industry is by research and technological advancement.
6. Luck plays a big role in the life achievements of a person
7. There is no guaranteed company in the high-tech business; therefore, every company must keep constantly innovating to ensure they are in a safe position
8. It is always important to know the right competitors so that you might not focus on the wrong, as Apple targeted IBM instead of Microsoft
9. Having a corporate culture is essential in a business because it provides a consistent way of solving problems
10. Time is essential in the tech industry

References

Contributor, R. B. (2019). I interviewed 21 self-made billionaires about their secrets to wealth and success—here’s what I learned. CNBC. Web.

oldthings1000. (2015). Triumph of the nerds – Riding the bear. In Dailymotion. Web.