Former Compaq CEO Rod Canion On the Roadmap of Company Success [Part 1]

Key Insights & Timestamps:

• [00:00]: Podcast begins
• [01:25]: The risk of leaving TI & the early decisions of Compaq
• [10:46]: How Compaq reacted to competition with IBM
• [14:42]: Creation of the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA)
• [24:03]: Managing challenges as the CEO of a fast-rising company
• [29:05]: “Silicon Cowboys” & telling the balanced story of Compaq
• [34:28]: Lasting legacy of Compaq after Rod’s 1991 departure

Guest Spotlight:
Rod Canion, Co-founder & Former CEO of Compaq
Rod Canion co-founded Compaq Computer Corporation in 1982, alongside Bill Murto and Jim Harris. During his tenure, Compaq became the fastest startup in history to achieve $1 billion in revenue by its fifth year and earned a spot on the Fortune 500 in just three years. By 1994, Compaq had grown to become the world's largest supplier of PC systems. In 2001, Compaq merged with Hewlett-Packard to form the largest computer company globally. Their remarkable journey also inspired the documentary film Silicon Cowboys, which chronicles the rise of Compaq and its impact on the tech industry. Today, Rod is the COO of OctoMAGNETx.

Key Takeaways:

• Rod’s decision to leave Texas Instruments (TI) created an air of uncertainty and risk in his career, but it led to an incredible founder’s journey and an important example for other bright minds in the tech space to follow. Rod explains that, in leaving TI and starting Compaq, he and his fellow co-founders wanted to find their own niche in the computing technology space and felt a sense of urgency to innovate.
• Securing capital is no easy feat, and Rod credits unexpectedly high demand and high profile investment companies like Kleiner Perkins for helping Compaq smash expectations in fundraising. In their first round, Compaq raised $1.5 million, and ended up raising a total of $10 million in venture capital funding as a startup.
• Compaq’s success continued throughout Rod’s time as CEO and after his departure. The culture of Compaq was secure in the incredibly stable team that was hired during Compaq’s early stages and Rod felt as if the legacy of the company could continue even as he was leaving. His departure in 1991 came at a stressful and uncertain time for Rod, but he still cared about telling the positive sides of his Compaq story in the documentary Silicon Cowboys and continues to speak well about his experience as CEO.

Resources Mentioned:
Compaq | www.compaq.com, Silicon Cowboys (2016), IBM | www.ibm.com

Connect with Rod Canion:

• LinkedIn

For More Information:
Produced by Speakerbox Media. Visit softeq.com/forging-the-future-podcast for more episodes, detailed show notes, and access to additional resources.