Dell describes the PC industry today as a jump ball environment where no company can stay in a strong position for long. The development of wireless networks, miniaturization, and the influence of the internet has changed the competitive landscape of the industry, he says. One of the biggest threats is the changing computing model. To combat this threat, Dell, Inc. is focused on online servers and storage, new online devices, and anticipating shifts in business.

Transcript



I think the biggest threat is: how does the computing model change? And today, if you look at the cell phone and the PDA and the PC and notebooks, desktops, there's a pretty clear distinction among those various product categories. I think if we look back, five years from now, it won't be nearly as clear how you separate what those products are. And part of this is happening because of the development of all these wireless networks, miniaturization, things moving online. And so it changes the whole competitive landscape. The rate and pace of change in the industry is such that it's always kind of a jump ball environment where companies are not able to hang on to a great position for a super long time. You've always got to be reinventing what you're doing based on the technology and what's going on. So we're very focused on, first of all, the cloud and what's in the servers and storage that people access when they go online, what are all the new devices that are coming online, and how do we shift our business to anticipate that and prepare for it?

1. The Origins of Dell, Inc.
2. The Culture and Dynamics of Dell, Inc. During the Early Years
3. Take Caution in Forming Close Friendships in a Company
4. Setting up the Initial Board of Directors for Dell, Inc.
5. Enhancing the Effectiveness of a Board of Directors
6. Overcoming Some of the Early Mistakes of Dell, Inc.
7. The Reasons Behind Dell, Inc. Going Public
8. Critical Changes to the Business Model of Dell, Inc.
9. Self-Disruption at Dell, Inc.
10. Starting a New Company in an Inefficient Industry
11. Implementing Processes in a Fast-Growing Company
12. Creating an Effective Communication Infrastructure
13. The Flawed Model of the Early Computer Industry
14. Revolutionizing the PC and IT Industry
15. Innovation at Dell, Inc.
16. Finding a Common Language for Improvement inside a Company
17. Current Threats to the PC Industry

Michael Dell lectures on Entrepreneurship for Stanford University students, May 1, 2007. Michael Dell is the founder of the computer company Dell, Inc. He created one of the most profitable computer companies in the world with annual sales of up to $50 billion American dollars. Dell has also become one of the wealthiest people in the world with a 4th place listing on the Forbes rich Americans list in 2005 with an estimated worth of $18 billion. In this Stanford lecture, he talks about taking caution in forming close friendships in a company, creating an effective communication infrastructure and starting a new company in an inefficient industry.

Related Links: http://www.dell.com/
                            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell

Last Updated: Mon, Jul 16, 2007

Course Details:
- Endeavor's Entrepreneurs' Summit
- Stanford University's Entrepreneurship Corner (ecorner)

Original Course Name: Endeavor's Entrepreneurs' Summit.