Advise that launched the 'Intel Inside' brand

This advise is too precious to remain buried in a tome.

Just a small preface: This advise came from Professor Henry Reiling of Harward Business School. This piece of advise led Dennis Carter to join Intel. Dennis Carter is primarily responsible for the 'Intel Inside' brand.

When you look for your first job find a job where nobody knows exactly what you're supposed to be doing. If they don't know what you're supposed to be doing, they won't know what you are not supposed to be doing. As a result, you can do anything you want, and you can take risks.

This is extracted from Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American by Richard S. Tedlow.

Photo courtesy: Margarit Ralev

Not fair!

Look I know they did not seek the Nobel Prize. History has judged them favorably and they gained the deserved fame while they were alive (which cannot be said of all who deserve). But I cannot help thinking, "Not fair!"

In 1959 Robert Noyce came up with the design of Integrated circuit. It was silicon based. Independent of him Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments designed a Germanium based Integrated Circuit. Silicon is obviously a better solution - it is called The Silicon Valley, isn't it? Not Germanium Valley!

Kilby was awarded the Nobel prize in the year 2000. Noyce did not. Why? Because he died in the year 1990. Nobel prize is not awarded posthumously.

Who can you blame? The Nobel committee surely had their reasons to delay the award. But I can't help thinking: It took the Nobel committee upward of 40 years to realize the importance of Integrated Chip?

In any case, Noyce (along with Gordon Moore, yeah the same one who gave the Moore's Law) went on to create Intel. Contrary to popular belief, Andy Grove was not instrumental in establishing Intel. He joined the company as the first employee. That he took Intel to great heights is a different story Andy Grove: The life and Times of An American.

Picture courtesy: Ádám Bálint

Deaths, Cancers, Geniuses, Icons

07-Oct-2011
It is with great sadness I update this post.
Steve Jobs is no more with us.
I have only read about Edison in text books.
Steve Jobs is the Thomas Edison of our times.
I am fortunate to have lived in the same time as Steve Jobs.

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12-March-2009
I have till now read only six auto/biographies. For some reason all men:

Alexander (fictionalized history - a triology by Valerio Massimo Manfredi: Child of a Dream, The Sands of Ammon, The Ends of The Earth)
Ramanujam (The Man Who Knew Infinity: The Life of the Genius Ramanujam by Robert Kanigel),
Steve Job (iCon Steve Jobs by Jeffrey S. Young and William L. Simon),
Richard Feynman (Genius: Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick)
Lance Armstrong (It's not about the bike: My Journey Back to Life), and
Andy Grove (Andy Grove: The Life and Time of an American Business Icon by Richard S Tadlow)

Now, consider this ...

Alexander, died young.
Ramanujam, died young.
Steve Jobs, suffered from Pancreatic Cancer; survived.
Lance Armstrong, suffered from Testicular Cancer; survived.
Andy Grove, suffered from Prostrate Cancer; survived.
Richard Feynman, suffered from Abdominal Cancer; could not survive the relapse.

No, I am not trying to make any statement. That would be too stupid!
Just stating facts. Or am I?