It all started in a Garage. The HP Story…

Earlier this week I went to visit HP, and although I had been before to their Sant Cugat HQ and Campus, this time I spent longer there and saw it in its entirety and splendor.

But the HP that we know now, started somewhere quite humble. The origin story of any business is the foundation of a brand and the spirit and energy that leads to success and growth. For HP, this is embodied by a simple and unnassuming garage.

This original garage is located in Palo Alto, Bay Area, California. It is still there, but there is an exact replica of it at HP’s HQ in Barcelona. It is special not only as it's the icon where HP began, but in fact it's the origin of Silicon Valley and the multiple brands and technologies that continue to shape our world today.

The story goes that ex-engineering students at Stanford, Bill Hewlett and David Packard, were inspired by their mentor and lecturer who encouraged them to set up electronics businesses in the Bay Area and establish a hub for innovation. So the garage was their first workplace, and where they invented an audio oscillator for Walt Disney - and the rest is history - HP is now one of the world’s most famous tech brands and this truly did spark a revolution in brands and innovation.

The HP garage signals to me that all ideas and businesses start somewhere. In fact, it is almost always in a humble place or space! So it is worth remembering, wherever you are on your innovation journey, it doesn’t matter, particularly if you are at the start, commit and go for it. Yes persistence, intellect, hard work, confidence and vision are critical to success. But starting is the main thing, in fact often the time at the start is the best, when the passion and clarity and energy the idea shines brightly, untainted by the inevitable challenges that must be overcome.

Sant Cugat itself is an impressive facility. It is like a small town totally dedicated to digital printing technology development full of tech, creative applications, acres of spaces for work, hosting, presenting, creating, playing, exercising, eating and meeting. It even has its own 15th century converted Catalan farmhouse! It's undeniably Catalan and Spanish but is also like a global university. It has a really collegial and collaborative vibe and atmosphere. I don't know if this is because I've spent years now working from home, but I was struck by how clearly friendships abound here. Clearly people thrive working here, many having been here for decades. With such a culture where despite me knowing HP since I joined back in 2006, it is still difficult to spot a hierarchy. The culture there is as probably as flat as you can get. And the people are clever and innovative. Everyone is bright, committed and inspired.

It's a potent recipe for a success story which has very humble beginnings.

Stay posted for some content we created while we were there!!

So, with New Year's resolutions still a memory, maybe we should all give something new a go, this humble starting point literally led to a revolution that established Silicon Valley. Not bad really!

This beautifully restored 15th century farmhouse was the backdrop to some of the content