1. Jensen Huang (NVIDIA)
If Bill Hewlett was the quintessential engineer-as-founder, Jensen Huang is his modern heir. Like Hewlett, Huang has remained deeply technical, steering NVIDIA not by chasing market fads, but by making colossal, long-term bets on where technology is headed.
While others focused on CPUs, Huang went all-in on graphics processing units (GPUs), a move that seemed niche at the time. He had the conviction to see that parallel processing would be the future, not just for gaming, but for scientific computing and, eventually, artificial intelligence. This mirrors Hewlett’s own obsession with creating “instruments for engineers,” building the tools his peers didn't yet know they needed. Huang’s leadership is defined by technical vision and a relentless drive to solve hard problems—a direct echo of the engineering-first culture that made HP a giant.
2. Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia)
While Hewlett built oscilloscopes and Chouinard made climbing gear, their core philosophies share a common DNA: product integrity and a deep sense of responsibility. For Chouinard, this meant building a company that not only made the best possible outdoor apparel but also did the least amount of harm to the planet. This isn't a marketing strategy; it's the entire point. This resonates powerfully with the HP Way's emphasis on earning respect through integrity and contributing to the community. Chouinard’s famous “Let My People Go Surfing” policy is a modern-day expression of the trust and respect Hewlett placed in his employees, believing that if you hire good people and give them a great mission, they will do great work. Both men proved that you can build a wildly successful business without sacrificing your principles.
3. Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines)
An airline founder might seem like an odd inclusion, but Herb Kelleher’s genius was pure HP Way, just applied to a different industry. His core belief was simple: if you treat your employees like gold, they will treat your customers like gold. That was it. That was the whole strategy. While other airlines saw staff as a cost to be minimized, Kelleher saw them as the company’s single greatest asset. This employee-first focus was the heart of the HP Way, which pioneered concepts like profit sharing and open-door policies long before they were fashionable. Kelleher built a culture of fun, empowerment, and genuine care that was legendary in a notoriously brutal industry. He understood, just as Hewlett did, that a happy, motivated workforce isn't a byproduct of success—it's the engine of it.
4. Satya Nadella (Microsoft)
Satya Nadella isn't a founder in the traditional sense, but he is the founder of the *new* Microsoft. He inherited a company known for its brilliant but brutally competitive internal culture. His mission was to transform it. In doing so, he channeled the spirit of Bill Hewlett. Nadella replaced a “know-it-all” culture with a “learn-it-all” culture, emphasizing empathy, collaboration, and a growth mindset. This was a direct parallel to the HP Way’s focus on teamwork and individual dignity. Hewlett believed in managing by walking around, listening to engineers and trusting their insights. Nadella’s leadership is built on a similar foundation of listening and empowering others, transforming a stagnant behemoth into one of the most dynamic companies in the world by changing how its people worked together.
5. Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn)
Reid Hoffman offers a 21st-century update to one of the core tenets of the HP Way: the relationship between company and employee. In HP's golden era, a job was often for life, built on mutual loyalty. Hoffman recognized that in today’s fast-moving world, that model is gone. His solution, outlined in “The Alliance,” is the “tour of duty”—a framework where employees and managers agree on a specific mission for a realistic timeframe, with a focus on mutual benefit. The employee gets valuable skills and a career boost; the company gets a highly motivated contributor for a key project. This is a brilliant evolution of Hewlett’s principle of respecting employees. It acknowledges modern career realities while restoring a sense of trust and a shared mission, adapting the spirit of the HP Way for a world Hewlett never knew.
