Dell's journey beyond the PC: Page 2 of 2

Innovation and evolution
 
Michael pointed out that the most interesting thing about the IT industry is that the more exciting innovation tends to come from customers combining different technology ingredients that are already available.
 
“Go back and study keynote presentations from that last 10 or 30 years, the track record of people trying to predict the future is not very good. Things like artificial intelligence and all kinds of new things but a lot of this never materialised,” he said.
 
But what did change, according to Michael, was the emergence of new business models, new ways of using technology that upended and changed the world in significant ways, and were more significant than the technology.
 
“The technologists trying to predict change actually missed the creativity of the users in combining technology that created the bigger change than the ingredients themselves,” he said.
 
Though if there is one technology prediction that he personally wishes could be a reality within his lifetime, Michael shared that it would have to be teleportation.
 
Given that the bulk of today’s technology startups are centred on Web 2.0 or Internet services, when asked whether someone could still make an impact in the market, especially in hardware much like he did, Michael said it was possible but it would have to be in a new space.
 
“The challenge with any new entrant is that they have to solve a problem that hasn’t been solved before. Maybe someone could do it in an existing space, but more likely [this] will occur in new areas.
 
“For example, the spaces that Dell is in, to the extent there are news ways of doing things and providing breakthrough value to customers, we’re all over it.
 
“If someone finds it first, shame on us but we’ll be all over it right away,” he said.
 
Michael added that there isn’t just one formula to being a successful entrepreneur, much like there are many ways to fail; there are many ways to succeed, and it will be unique and personal to each individual.
 
The best advice he’s ever gotten in his career?
 
Michael said it came from fellow Texan and cofounder of Teledyne Technologies Inc, George Kozmetsky: “When you find a problem, fix it as fast as you can find it.”
 
Previous Instalment: Dell the man, on Dell the company

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