| We will discuss the following success models. | | | | Cashell Vanchu remarks:ezboard came into existence |
| -Geshe Roach's experiences in a Wall Street diamond | | | | during the peak of the Internet boom, a glorious but |
| company as recounted in the Diamond Cutter. | | | | frivolous time. 18 months ago, we realized that we |
| -ezboard.com, a customizable Web-based | | | | were on the road to bankruptcy and we needed to |
| communities developed in 1998 by Vanchau Nguyen, | | | | change course. We did that. In a short year, we |
| Founder and Chief Executive Officer. | | | | shifted our revenue model from purely advertising to |
| -Hewlett-Packard Company. | | | | almost entirely subscription. We also doubled our |
| Two of these models were started by Buddhists. | | | | number of communities created to over 1 million and |
| Hewlett-Packard, the seed company of Silicon Valley, | | | | tripled our number of registered users, now over 8 |
| even though it was not started by Buddhists, has | | | | million. |
| been, in the past, noted for its generous and | | | | Ezboard has a very strict Terms of Use but relies |
| benevolent treatment of employees, the | | | | upon its user community to report violators and to |
| "Hewlett-Packard Way." All these success models | | | | enforce the terms, thus freeing up its time and |
| reinforce the concept that the seed of success and | | | | resources for more valuable community-building |
| must be watered with more generosity along the | | | | activities. As Vanchau notes: |
| way. | | | | We do not actively go out and look for content that |
| Success Models: Geshe Michael Roach and the | | | | violates our TOS. We take a more passive stance, |
| Diamond Cutter | | | | but if we are notified of violations, we then go and |
| Geshe Michael Roach is a Princeton graduate and a | | | | take a look. Usually, we'll send a warning to the |
| Buddhist monk. After graduation, he spent seven | | | | administrator. Now and then we have to remove a |
| years studying the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism. At | | | | post, ban a user, or on very rare occasions (in fact, I |
| the suggestion of his teacher, he joined a fledgling | | | | believe only once so far), shut down the community. |
| diamond business in New York to test his ideals in | | | | Ultimately, the key to ezboard.com's abiding success |
| real life. He stayed with the business as a member of | | | | and exponential growth in a highly competitive field is |
| the core management team for seventeen years. | | | | its focus on community-building as its most important |
| The company grew from a start-up with two | | | | value above everything. |
| owners and two employees to $100 million in sales | | | | Success Model: Hewlett-Packard Co. |
| and five hundred employees in offices around the | | | | In the beginning of the company's history, the |
| world. The Diamond Cutter. The Buddha on | | | | founders did not focus on growth per se, but |
| Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life | | | | focused instead on manufacturing quality products. |
| tells the story of how Geshe Michael Roach built the | | | | As HP grows, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard create a |
| diamond division of this company, using principles | | | | management style that forms the basis of HP's |
| culled from ancient Tibetan Buddhism as the driving | | | | famously open corporate culture and influences how |
| force behind his decision making. | | | | scores of later technology companies will do business. |
| Some of the many insights in The Diamond Cutter | | | | Dave practices a management technique - eventually |
| are as follows: | | | | dubbed "management by walking around" -, which is |
| -A business should be successful; it should make | | | | marked by personal involvement, good listening skills, |
| money. There is no conflict between spirituality and | | | | and the recognition that "everyone in an organization |
| success in business. Successful business people have | | | | wants to do a good job." As managers, Bill and Dave |
| the resources to do more good in the world than | | | | run the company according to the principle later called |
| those people without the same resources do. In | | | | management by objective - communicating overall |
| addition, the very people who are attracted to | | | | objectives clearly and giving employees the flexibility |
| business are the same people who have the strength | | | | to work toward those goals in ways that they |
| to grasp and carry out the deeper practices of the | | | | determine are best for their own areas of |
| spirit. | | | | responsibility. |
| -Money should be made honestly and with absolute | | | | HP also establishes its open door policy - open |
| integrity. How we make money matters more than | | | | cubicles and executive offices without doors - to |
| anything else does. It determines our ability to keep | | | | create an atmosphere of trust and mutual |
| making money as nobody can indefinitely run a | | | | understanding. The open door policy encourages |
| business built on dishonesty or deception. It also | | | | employees to discuss problems with a manager |
| significantly affects our ability to enjoy the money | | | | without reprisals or adverse consequences. |
| we make. | | | | Bill and Dave make other important management |
| -Nothing is good or bad in and of itself; everything | | | | decisions: providing catastrophic medical insurance, |
| has a hidden potential. This is what the Buddhists call | | | | using first names to address employees (including |
| emptiness. What is bad news for you may be good | | | | themselves), and throwing regular employee parties |
| news for someone else, and vice versa. We must | | | | and picnics. |
| not leap to conclusions about events, but must stop | | | | .In 1957, these guidelines became encapsulated within |
| to consider what potential they really have for us. | | | | a vision statement known as the 'Hewlett Packard |
| Even competitors can be seen as fairy godmothers | | | | Vision'. As part of the vision statement, the values |
| challenging us to find the correct path to greater | | | | statement the HP Way focused on a 'belief in our |
| accomplishment. It is a matter of perception. With | | | | people', which incorporated |
| the right state of mind, we can turn our problems | | | | Confidence in and respect for our people as opposed |
| into opportunities. | | | | to depending upon extensive rules, procedures and |
| -We should look ahead to the inevitable end of our | | | | so on; which depends upon people to do their job |
| days in business, and put ourselves in a position | | | | right (individual freedom) without constant directives. |
| where we can honestly say our years in business had | | | | ('The HP Way') |
| some meaning. The idea here is to anticipate our | | | | Over the years, the HP Way has taken on the image |
| future, and move in a direction that will allow us to | | | | of the Apostles' Creed: a shared statement of |
| look back on our past with total joy and satisfaction. | | | | beliefs, but one that can be interpreted in many |
| Success Model: San Francisco, Calif. -- August 1, 2002 | | | | different ways in a broad, catholic sense. It is almost |
| -- ezboard, Inc., a subscriber-based online community | | | | as though its shared symbolic image is more |
| based in San Mateo and founded in 1998 by Vanchau | | | | important than living it as a shared reality. One senior |
| Nguyen, announced that it recently surpassed the 10 | | | | manager called it an 'an assumed culture'. This |
| million registered user level. At the present, has over | | | | perhaps is its strength: as a corporate ideology, it |
| 400,000 active communities, covering everything and | | | | allows for different interpretations of its words. |
| 40,000 communities are being added a month! | | | | On May 3, 2002, HP and Compaq officially merged, |
| In a 2000 interview about the start of the website | | | | beginning operations as one unified company. The |
| Vanchau describes planting the seeds of success and | | | | new HP serves more than one billion customers |
| watching them grow. | | | | across 162 countries, and is a leading global provider |
| How did you go about promoting your web site? | | | | of products, technologies, solutions, and services to |
| Mostly by planting some seeds about ezboard in | | | | consumers and businesses. The company's offerings |
| existing online gathering places and then watching | | | | span IT infrastructure, personal computing and |
| them grow by word-of-mouth. Most of our new | | | | access devices, global services and imaging and |
| users are referred by an existing user, which is the | | | | printing. |
| best way to attract loyal customers and a great | | | | In this age where large corporations are coming |
| testimonial about the value and fun offered by | | | | under increasing moral scrutiny, HP has come out |
| ezboard. | | | | relatively clean. The Packard Foundation is the world' |
| His vision, even in the beginning, was of the | | | | largest corporate foundation with grant awards |
| expotential growth promised by the Korwa cycle. | | | | totalled approximately $230 million in 2002. Carly |
| In a 2001 interview with Judy Vorfield of Web Builder | | | | Fiorina, its CEO, is respected in the world of business, |
| ezine(, Vanchu noted that | | | | it is respected abroad, and it has no antitrust suits |
| In the recession, had some rough times, but its | | | | against it. As Ms. Fiorina remarked, "Our bodyguards |
| management was able to reverse the trend and | | | | carry no Uzis. |
| continuing growing. In a 2002 interview with Jim | | | | |