Gaubatz

Anecdotes, Alibis, and AdviceExperience with Big and Small High Tech Businesses in Massachusetts (and beyond): 

Anecdotes, Alibis, and Advice Experience with Big and Small High Tech Businesses in Massachusetts (and beyond) The aggressive professional-in-training considering his or her options for employment following graduation has a wide variety of opportunities from which to choose. In spite of changes in the business climate, the maturation of some technical standards and the continued rapid evolution of others, and ongoing raw technological advancement, there are certain Personal Planning Factors that should be considered by the graduate. Dr. Donald A. Gaubatz 978 853-9934 dag@theworld.com

About the Presenter: 

About the Presenter Dr. Donald A. Gaubatz left a university position in Washington, DC and moved to Massachusetts in 1978 to begin a career with DEC (during which he completed his Ph.D. at Cambridge University in England) and became Vice President of Workstations with offices in Maynard, MA and Palo Alto, CA. He went on to do private investing and consulting on an international basis and, as a result of Advisory Board work with a local startup, was asked to join the firm as SVP/COO. Dr. Gaubatz participated in proposing the National Center for Computer Graphics and Scientific Visualization to the NSF and was on its Advisory Board for the 11 years of NSF funding. He is a Founding Member of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA and is the only member of the Microprocessor Report Editorial Board on the East Coast.

Anecdotes, Alibis, and Advice – Outline: 

Anecdotes, Alibis, and Advice – Outline Introductory Context - Industry, Personal Sketch of Background, Experience You’re in the Right Place Advice for You (Personal Planning Factors) Alibis for (and from) Everyone Anecdotes (supporting the Advice, not the Alibis) Startup Equity Split - Example Summary (for Yankees) Handouts, Reading List Artifacts, Tokens, and Charms

Introductory Context - Industry: 

Introductory Context - Industry Times are not the best. Tech is down. Tech market leaders’ share prices are low. Jobs are scarce. Entry-level positions are hard to find. Retirement plans are threatened. … so let’s get going …

Introductory Context - Personal: 

Introductory Context - Personal Personal Review (sort/merge/purge/store) Paper Things (files, books, magazines, business cards, …) Silicon (Copper, …) Things (electronics, computers, …) Professor Lieberherr’s Lecture Request !!! Lecture drawn from lots of context … San Jose trip Microprocessor Forum Computer History Museum Fellow Awards Many meetings with professional colleagues Silicon Valley is NOT a Happy Valley

Background Sketch 1 of 2: 

Background Sketch 1 of 2 Family electronics business, St. Louis Audio, Movie Theaters, Television (News!), Controllers Engineering Degree, Washington University ELECTRONICS and BU$INE$$ Catholic University of America, Washington, DC Visiting Instructor (to start) Assistant Prof (concurrent graduate work) Extension Courses (completely self-driven)

Background Sketch 2 of 2: 

Background Sketch 2 of 2 Digital Equipment Corporation (Applied R&D) Modernized system peripherals Ph.D. Cambridge University, England Vice President of Workstations Worldwide Independent Consulting, Investing Boards and Advisory Boards International clients Large and small companies Leveraging experience, contacts …

Alibis for (and from) Everyone: 

Alibis for (and from) Everyone There are too many from which to pick: “… great technology but no sales …” “… they wouldn’t fund next generation…” “… it was the CxO’s fault …” “We have all had a very cold shower,” said Bob Grady, a venture capitalist with the Carlyle Group – Associated Press, 10/29/02

You are in the Right Place(Technology): 

You are in the Right Place (Technology) The money is sitting on the sidelines: Business expansion Venture investments It’s a lot of money (Karlgaard) “$ 2 trillion” Your estimates may vary … (some say $ 6 trillion) Calculating a company’s value (Kawasaki): $500,000 per staff Engineer - $250,000 per staff M.B.A.

This is what will happen for You: 

This is what will happen for You Near, to very near, term, low expectations may well prove valid. Intermediate to long term, achievements will be higher, possibly much higher. Long term, achievements will be very much higher, beyond one’s (your) ability to predict.

My Prediction, said another way..: 

My Prediction, said another way.. In spite of poor conditions in the near term, you will achieve beyond your expectations in the long term. Observation by Gordon Bell (paraphrased): Predictions for technology progress are overly optimistic in the near term, and not nearly optimistic enough in the long term.

Here’s how to get past the near term (to the good stuff) Personal Planning Factors 1-5: 

Here’s how to get past the near term (to the good stuff) Personal Planning Factors 1-5 Be Good Be Articulate Be Connected Be Business-Like Be Open to Possibilities

Be Good* Personal Planning Factor 1: 

Be Good* Personal Planning Factor 1 This means be a good engineer, designer, architect, researcher, programmer, sales support engineer, operations analyst, … You can work towards this “at school”. There are no limits * I didn’t really mean good, I meant great.

Be Articulate Personal Planning Factor 2: 

Be Articulate Personal Planning Factor 2 Be, or get, good at writing. Nothing happens without writing. Start with your résumé, do a biographical sketch, and refine and update them constantly. Be, or get, good at speaking. You cannot create your career alone, you need to draw people along with you, you need to form group consensus, and you need to lead.

Be Connected Personal Planning Factor 3: 

Be Connected Personal Planning Factor 3 Be, or get, good at connecting with as many worthy contacts as possible. As you proceed in your career, your “connections”, your personal, trusted, widely-distributed network will be invaluable to your progress. Do you have a mentor? Your contacts are worth organizing and nurturing. Use a computer. Be personal. Be consistent.

Be Business-Like Personal Planning Factor 4: 

Be Business-Like Personal Planning Factor 4 Business ain't kiddin’ around. (I can use slang in my slide, but you can’t use slang in your written or spoken business communication.) (Use the spell-checker, and then check the spell checker.) Return all calls, emails, letters. Be prompt. Be grateful, say “thank you.” Be gracious under pressure. Be personable, but be “contract*-aware”.

*CONTRACT: 

*CONTRACT The Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supercedes and cancels all agreements, written or oral, made prior to the date hereof between the parties.

Be Open to Possibilities Personal Planning Factor 5: 

Be Open to Possibilities Personal Planning Factor 5 Plan. Plan as much as you can stand. But, be ready for (unplanned) possibilities. Many of your future opportunities will occur because you are (or have become): Good (Great) Articulate Connected Business-Like Let’s go the the anecdotes …

Anecdote 1Creating Expertise, Ext. Courses, Contacts, $s : 

Anecdote 1 Creating Expertise, Ext. Courses, Contacts, $s Catholic University of America, Winter ’77 “We (You) need Extension Courses.” Resources: Microcomputers: 1 Interest: User Microprogramming Deal with Western Digital; Deal with DEC Results: New Course, Summer ’77, Winter ’78 Oversubscribed, ran two sessions in ’78 Consulted at Lawrence Livermore Labs in ’78 Co-Taught Microprogramming Course at MIT, ‘79 Tutorial Chairman, ACM SIG MICRO, three years

Anecdote 2Delivered Disk and Ethernet I/O for MicroVAX : 

Anecdote 2 Delivered Disk and Ethernet I/O for MicroVAX Pre-DEC experience with DEC products: Great CPU, system architecture, system software. Peripherals not competitive. Resources: Personal belief, vision that DEC could do better. Support from the right places (but not all places). Results: Took design responsibility from Storage Group. Used outside resources Took design responsibility from Networking Group. Worked with 3Com (Bob Metcalfe), Intel

Anecdote 3Delivered DEC’s first RISC Workstations, 3D, Etc(From Risk-Taker to Managing Risk-Takers) : 

Anecdote 3 Delivered DEC’s first RISC Workstations, 3D, Etc (From Risk-Taker to Managing Risk-Takers) Residency at Cambridge University completed. Returned to DEC, 1986, continuing dissertation, projects. Opportunity: “Here, manage PDP-11s.” 1987, 100s of employees, mature (big) business. Opportunity: “Here, manage Workstations.” 1988, 100s of employees and growing, MA, NH, CA. Resources: Commitment, support, track record. Results: More strategic products, in shorter time. $1.6 billion business.

Anecdote 4The Network Enabled Many Engagements(Trusted Connections Bridge Domains) : 

Anecdote 4 The Network Enabled Many Engagements (Trusted Connections Bridge Domains) U.S.A. Representative, Olivetti-Oracle Res Lab, UK. First worldwide sale of Radio ATM to DoD. Compaq Computer, Consultant. Products, strategy, management. Elcom Tech, Malvern, PA, Investor, Consultant. Powerline communications. Mangosoft, Inc., Westborough, COO/SVP. WAN-coherent Windows-compatible virtual file system. Etc. … Cogent Technology, Santa Cruz, Board of Directors. Raised funds; acquired by C-Cube, Harmonic Lightwaves.

Startup Equity Split – Example: 

Startup Equity Split – Example Position Equity % CEO 6.0-10.0 CTO/Founder 6.0-10.0 VP Engineering 3.0-5.0 Dir Engineering 1.5-2.5 Arch Engineering 0.75-1.0 Principal Engineer 0.6-0.8 Senior Engineer 0.4-0.6 Engineer (4 yrs exp) 0.25-0.4 VP Sales 2.0-3.0 VP Marketing 1.0-2.0 CFO 1.0-1.5 Office Manager 0.1-0.2 Product Manager 0.5-0.75 Notes: 1) at first round, employees should own one-half the company, 2) at second round, one-fourth, 3) exact details may vary.

Summary (for Yankees): 

Summary (for Yankees) “You’d know a Yankee anywhere.”* Frugal Resourceful Hard-Working Independent (see next page) Tenacious Rugged Strong-Willed Inventive Neighborly Combined with the Personal Planning Factors, this is YOUR RECIPE for Entrepreneurial Success! *Boston Globe Magazine, November 1, 1998

Advice from a Financial Planner: 

Advice from a Financial Planner The personal financial planning process is not full of mystery. The actions required to develop a financial plan that will help you achieve financial independence are logical and sequential. The greatest roadblock to achieving financial independence is the tendency to procrastinate. Time is your greatest asset if you use it wisely. To make your financial plan work it is necessary that you discipline yourself and consistently follow through on the actions that will help you achieve your goals. Those consistent actions are: Pay yourself first Managing your debt Managing your taxes Maintain a consistent budgeting process Systematically review your progress

Handout 1 of 2: 

Handout 1 of 2

Handout 2 of 2: 

Handout 2 of 2

Reading List 1 of 2: 

Reading List 1 of 2

Reading List 2 of 2: 

Reading List 2 of 2

… met along the way …: 

… met along the way …