Andy Grove: Only The Paranoid Survive [Outliers]

Through his office window at Intel headquarters, Andy Grove could see the Ferris wheel of Great American Amusement Park spinning in the distance. But the document in front of him offered no such entertainment. Gordon Moore, yes, that Gordon Moore of Moore's Law Fame. Drops into the visitor's chair. His face grim.

The latest memory chip numbers are catastrophic. After quarters of watching Japanese competitors demolish Intel's market share from 83% to a mere 1.3%, the situation had become existential. In his standard issue eight by nine cubicle, Grove insisted executives use the same workspace as everyone else, he asked a question that would change history. If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what do you think he would do?

Gordon answers without hesitation. He'd get us out of memories. This reply hits Grove like a physical blow. After a moment of stunned silence, he delivers the line that would save Intel. Why shouldn't you and I walk out the door, come back in and do it ourselves? No dramatic music swells, no chest bumping celebration. Just the sound of two men exhaling as they mentally prepare to abandon the very product that built their company.

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