Silicon Gold Rush: The Next Generation of High-Tech Stars Rewrites the Rules of Business Book

How do new technology companies make it to the top and stay there? Not by using traditional methods, if this book is anything to go by. Through an examination of the executives behind some of the top technology companies such as 3Com, Cisco and Yahoo!, Karen Southwick shows that it takes a certain kind of entrepreneur to make it in the high-tech arena. In reading Silicon Gold Rush you will encounter ideas like mind share--far more important than market share in the early stages of an enterprise--and the "ready, fire, aim" technique which describes how new ventures do their thing as fast as possible, worrying about targeting later rather than earlier. Of course, once the company is up and running, the goals change. To continue the success sometimes a different ethos and another kind of leader is needed, and Southwick spends time looking at CEOs who have decided to quit to ensure the success of their companies. She also looks at that other key component of continued success, finding the right companies for mergers and alliance. There is plenty of food for thought here for those studying or setting up in business. The emphasis is very much on American companies, but the lessons and conclusions apply equally well to us in the UK. The bottom line for wannabe hi-tech entrepreneurs is, it seems, they have to be a mix of maestro, magician, messiah and mother. --Sandra VogelRead More