The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company: Summary & Key Insights

My approach to building Hewlett-Packard was deeply shaped by my early years and education. I grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, in a community that prized hard work and integrity above all else. These lessons were strengthened when I entered Stanford University, where I not only acquired technical knowledge but also encountered an intellectual community that connected engineering to larger social and ethical questions. It was there that I met Bill Hewlett—a friendship and partnership that became the cornerstone of everything that followed.

At Stanford, Bill and I were guided by mentors who taught us that engineering was not just about solving technical problems but about thinking creatively, imagining possibilities, and taking responsibility for outcomes. That spirit of inquiry and collaboration guided us when we later decided to create a business together. The foundation we built was not one of ambition for wealth or fame, but of curiosity and a shared belief in the tangible value of innovation. We wanted to work in an environment where creativity could thrive—and where people were treated as partners, not as cogs in a machine.

The true beginning of Hewlett-Packard was far humbler than most people imagine. In 1939, Bill and I set up shop in a small garage in Palo Alto. Our first product was an audio oscillator, the HP Model 200A, which we sold to Walt Disney Studios for use in producing ‘Fantasia.’ That modest sale marked the start of something extraordinary—but at the time, it felt simply like the validation of our belief that good engineering, done with care and ingenuity, could meet real human needs.

Starting a company with limited resources during the Great Depression was a challenge, but our guiding principle was never to cut corners on quality or honesty. We wanted every customer to feel confident that HP stood for reliability and integrity. Rather than chasing quick profit, we focused on building trust. That trust—between employees, customers, and leadership—became the glue that held HP together as we grew. The garage taught us that innovation thrives in simplicity and freedom. It also taught us that management’s job is not to control creativity but to nurture it.