Interview with Bill Hewlett & Dave Packard
The HP company was founded in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939. Initially they produced a line of electronic test and measurement equipment.
The HP Garage at 367 Addison Avenue is now designated an official California Historical Landmark, and is marked with a plaque calling it the “Birthplace of ‘Silicon Valley'”.
“Set out to build a company and make a contribution, not an empire and a fortune.”
Bill Hewett
Starting out
Tell me about the day when you thought, ‘ok, I’m really doing this’.
Bill: For me, it was 1939, when Dave and I scraped together $538 and set up in that little garage in Palo Alto. The moment we built and sold that first audio oscillator, I thought, “Well, we’re really in business now.”
Dave: Same here. I remember Walt Disney’s company ordering eight of them. That was when I realized this wasn’t just tinkering—it was the start of something real.
What room did you first work from?
Dave: A one-car garage at 367 Addison Avenue. Nothing glamorous—just workbenches, parts, and a lot of enthusiasm.
Bill: And Lucile, Dave’s wife, had to put up with us taking over the place. That garage later got called “the birthplace of Silicon Valley.”
Who or what were your biggest challenges?
Bill: Money was always tight at first. We had to be practical, careful.
Dave: And honestly, believing we could compete with bigger companies. Confidence doesn’t come overnight.
What were/are your biggest mistakes or regrets?
Dave: Maybe not expanding internationally faster in the early years. We were cautious with this aspect.
Bill: I also regret some of the times we grew too quickly and risked losing the “HP way” culture.
Who was your first client/customer?
Bill: Walt Disney Studios. They bought our oscillator for the movie Fantasia. That gave us credibility.
How/why did you come up with your brand name?
Dave: We literally flipped a coin—Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett. Bill won.
Bill: It could have been PH instead of HP. History turned on a coin toss.
How did you market/sell your business?
Bill: At first, it was word of mouth. Engineers talk to engineers.
Dave: Later, we built a reputation by making reliable products and standing behind them. Marketing was honesty, really.
Who were your mentors? Who did you look up to?
Bill: Fred Terman, our Stanford professor. He encouraged us to strike out on our own.
Dave: Terman was like a father to us in business. He’s often called the “Father of Silicon Valley” for good reason.
What are you most passionate about?
Dave: Building things that actually work and solve problems.
Bill: People. Our employees were always at the heart of HP.
When you first started, what did success look like?
Bill: Paying ourselves enough to get by and making products people respected.
Dave: Having steady work and building a company where people wanted to work.
Tell me about the time you hired your first employee.
Dave: It was a technician. We realized pretty quickly we couldn’t do everything ourselves.
Bill: Bringing someone in meant trust—we had to pass along our way of doing things.
What was your biggest challenge?
Dave: Balancing growth with values. Money comes and goes, but culture is hard to build and easy to lose.
What was the biggest marketing budget you ever had?
Bill: Honestly, compared to competitors, ours was always modest. We believed the product should sell itself.
Who were your main competitors?
Dave: Tektronix, IBM, later companies like DEC. It was a healthy rivalry.
Do you consider your brand to be an industry Leader or Follower? Why?
Bill: Leader. We tried to invent things that didn’t exist yet.
Dave: We weren’t always first, but we were first to do it well and with integrity.
Would you start a new business today at the same age/time?
Bill: Absolutely. The challenges are different now, but opportunity is always there.
Dave: The entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t change. I’d do it again.
What does your morning routine consist of?
Dave: Coffee, reading the paper, and then off to the office.
Bill: I was never complicated. I would wake up early and get moving.
How would you describe your managerial style?
Bill: Respectful and hands-off. Hire good people and let them do their job.
Dave: We called it “management by walking around.” Be visible, approachable, human.
What do you think is the biggest threat to the world?
Bill: Misuse of technology.
Dave: And lack of trust—between nations, between people.
What do you think is the biggest threat to your business?nnnn
Bill: Losing sight of the culture.
Dave: Bureaucracy. When a company gets too big, it forgets what made it special.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you’d give to someone starting or running a small business?
Bill: Focus on people. Your employees are the business.
Dave: Build for the long term. Don’t chase quick wins.
If you could change anything in the world, what would it be?
Bill: Greater opportunity for everyone to learn and innovate.
Dave: Less inequality. Everyone deserves a fair shot.
What’s your favourite gadget?
Bill: The HP-35 calculator. We were very proud of it.
Dave: Agreed. It changed the world for engineers.
What is your favourite brand/celebrity/actor?
Dave: I admired leaders like Churchill.
Bill: I looked up to scientists more than celebrities.
What kind of chocolate do you prefer? White, dark or milk?
Bill: Milk
Dave: Dark
Do you ever take time off?
Bill: Yes. I loved the outdoors, camping, hiking.
Dave: Same here. Hunting, fishing, being in nature cleared my head.
How do you relax/wind down from work?
Bill: Family and the outdoors.
Dave: Good friends, good food, and time away from the office.
Company name: Hewlett Packard (HP Inc)
Founder/s: Bill Hewlett, David Packard
CEO: Enrique Lores
Established: January 1, 1939
Location: Palo Alto, California, USA
Main Products/Services: Computer hardware and printers
Number of employees: 56,000
Revenue: US$5,014,000,000
Web site: www.hp.com
