Great Head of Hair

First thing I noticed was, would you look at that mane! Great head of hair.

As many know, I am very knew to being a technology junkie. I never knew who Bob Metcalfe was until this summer. I am constantly reading articles about everything under the sun related to technology. My favorite website is Fast Company because it doesn't simply focus on technology, but it has a great emphasis on innovative ideas.

I enjoyed hearing about Steve Jobs and all his stories about ARPAnet and his story. What stood out to me was the information about his innovation class. He seemed to take a "honest enthusiasm" approach with is students. He is honest and makes sure not to kill their dreams or ideas at the same time. There has been much made in the media about how the United States is losing its creativity and schools should start encouraging creative thinking. His tools that he felt were needed to be innovative were so simple. It goes along with the theme we discovered to be constant that all great innovations start from a very basic need or necessity.

One of the most important lessons I learned from him was humility. When he said he was forced out of being CEO of the company he built, and how he took the news. He spoke about how at first he was upset but then grew to accept it because he realized his limitations. Knowing your limitations is another characteristic we discovered this summer.

I also thoroughly enjoyed him saying you should have numerous careers, which i took him as saying make sure that whatever you are doing be passionate about it and when the passion is gone move to something your passionate about.

Here is an article from Fast Company on innovation

Bob Metcalfe

Not accustomed to meeting people with such extraordinary genius, I didn't know what to expect when I met Bob Metcalfe. The things he has done for the world of technology and how he went about putting his ideas into action to create the Ethernet are unfathomable to me. I was pleasantly surprised at his dry sense of humor and welcoming presence.

Metcalfe has overcome many obstacles in his life, and through each obstacle has found a way to make what may seem like a horrible situation into something he could learn and grow from and expand on. I think it's interesting that both Metcalfe and the late Steve Jobs have found themselves in disheartening situations throughout their careers, situations that ultimately led them to go on to create something new and exciting. A fresh start. I think it takes a certain kind of personality to be able to pick yourself up and create something even better.

I find it interesting that Metcalfe is on his fifth career as a professor of innovation at the University of Texas. He has experienced so much in his life...he has met so many people, like Steve Jobs (and I'm sure he's the only one to ever turn Jobs down), and has helped to create technology that has forever changed our world of communication. I only hope that I have the opportunity to experience such an passionate life, and change people's lives as much as Metcalfe and Jobs have.

Bob Metcalfe

Before the Metcalfe interview last Wednesday, I wasn't sure what to expect or how Metcalfe would respond to a class full of graduate students eager to discover more about his accomplishments. But, after listening to the interesting tale of his childhood, his early background and his recent endeavors, I found the event very interesting.

I think it's ironic yet fascinating how he was initially involved with architecture and how his first assignment of 'drawing your own hand' is what made him change his mind entirely. It's somewhat crazy to think about who would've invented the Ethernet if Metcalfe would've become an architect instead. I'm sure he's glad that he didn't. :)

Overall, I think the discussion about his early days with the ARPA Net, Xerox, the Aloha Network and 3Com painted a picture of not only his intelligence but the efforts and struggles for his success. He described several situations in which he 'failed' or maybe circumstantial events that didn't play in his favor. But, he credits his success to his parents who pushed him toward a college education and the hard work and effort he exerted into everything he pursued.

Because of the recent, tragic death of Steve Jobs, I was most touched by Metcalfe's reminiscence of the past he shared with Steve. When Metcalfe spoke of his first phone call from Steve and how he was pressured to become an employee of Apple in the early days, it almost felt like I was a little closer to the Steve Jobs. And, his story about his blind date with Steve and the tire changing incident just heightened the feeling of closeness. Metcalfe's kind, honest words of the great hero were like final, parting words. It was very touching.

I realize others have pointed out the five lessons Metcalfe wants each of his students to learn from his classes, but I, too, find each of them important and beneficial to my educational, professional and personal life.

The first lesson, health, is crucial to our survival. I lost my grandmother to cancer seven years today, October 26, 2004. I realized after her death just how short our time really is and how important our general health and well being is in order for us to survive.

Another lesson, speaking, is detrimental in building long-lasting relationships and friendships. We must be able to communicate in our personal lives, during our educational careers and most importantly, as professionals. The act of communicating effectively and efficiently can make or break how other people perceive you as a person.

An additional skill we must develop and maintain, writing, is also beneficial to various aspects of our lives. In today's society, we have immense opportunities to express ourselves. A growing way of expression is through technology and social media. But, in order to build our unique brand, we must write as well as we speak. It's important in building your character.

Those who are able to plan not only have greater successes but are better able to control their stress on their way to success. Planning is key to organization. When you make a plan or lots of plans, you can then create goals, dreams, ideas, lists, steps, etc. I may not always follow through with certain plans, but simply creating them and editing them over time has helped both short and long-term.

Last is a lesson that has taken me years to understand. I have always struggled with this idea of selling. In order to build your brand, create yourself and work toward success, it is important to sell YOU. Selling is something I have to repeatedly work on. In my personal opinion, I believe you have to build your inner-confidence in order to sell yourself and your skills to others. You must have faith and believe in yourself and what you create/build before anyone else will even begin to understand.

I thought the Metcalfe interview was awesome. He's a brilliant individual and it's amazing how he is still selling and building his brand. He pointed out the importance of doing things, lots of things in order to build a past of memories and legacies. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion. And, Cindy, you did a fabulous job too. I'm glad you were able to get Bob Metcalfe to the Texas State campus. Thank you. :)

Bob Metcalfe

Bob Metcalfe was a delightful person to meet. With his up and down success story and great sense of humor, anyone who didn't make it to this event surely missed out.

Metcalfe is currently teaching Innovation at UT, but before becoming a teacher he: helped create the internet, invented the Ethernet, was recruited and turned down Steve Jobs job offer, created his own company and put together Metcalfe's Law. Of course he had he downs as well, having his thesis rejected and being kicked out of his own company, but that didn't hold Metcalfe down. He regrouped and kept pushing forward.havi

I didn't really know what all to expect from him, but I found h

im very entertaining and I thought he was very insightful. He's witty personality and willingness to interact with the audience also made it a great pleasure to be in his presence. It is easy to say that h

e is an inspiration to college students and really makes you feel like you can, and will, make a difference in the world someday.

On a final note, Metcalfe believes thereare five things every student should possess in order to be successful: 1)health- you gotta be healthy or you're not going to be able to function. 2)speaking skills - you have to know how to speak to people and get your point across. 3)writing skills - you need to know how to put ideas and projects together in a way that flows so the reader doesn't become bored. 4) planning - you need to be organized and ready for whatever may come your way and 5) selling - you need to be able to sell yourself and sell your product.

Bob Metcalfe

It is very rare to meet someone who has accomplished so many outstanding things in their life and wants to continue to make an extraordinary difference in the world. Meeting Bob Metcalfe was an honor and listening to him talk about his work, his personal life and the advice that he gives to his students was inspiring.

Metcalfe talked about his days in high school and how he wanted to be an architect. Once he was accepted into MIT, his first assignment in architecture school was to draw his hand, which he failed. He then ended up majoring in management. When talking about how he invented the Ethernet, Metcalfe stated that it was not his intention to do so and that one thing just led to another. He understands that he was both lucky and very disciplined, which is what helped him come across to the invention. Bob Metcalfe said, "There are two types of people in this world: There are those who believe that everything is due to luck, and there are those who believe that everything is due to hard work and discipline, I believe it is a mixture of randomness and preparation."
When asked about the advice he gives his students, Metcalfe pointed out 5 important things that everyone should be conscious of:

1. Health-If you are not healthy, you cannot function
2. Speaking- You must be a good speaker, if you are people will listen.
3. Writing- You must practice your writing daily.
4. Planning- It is never a bad idea to plan everything out before you put things in action.
5. Selling

These 5 things are sometimes easy to forget and can also be applied to anyone.Towards the end, Bob Metcalfe was asked about the death of Steve Jobs and how the future will be impacted due to his loss. He was emotional when talking about Steve and also shared some interesting and genuine stories about Steve. A statement that Metcalfe said during this presentation that really stuck out to me was when he said, "Change is not what we need, what we need is improvement."

 --side note: I tweeted his quote after his presentation and he re-tweeted what I wrote, this pretty much made my day!-- He referred to this when he was talking about the future of technological products, especially with the loss of Steve Jobs. There is always a beginning to things if you change them, but if you keep improving them you will keep advancing, and improvement can always lead to greater things.

Check out this video from the New Network Leadership Series. Juniper CEO interviews Bob Metcalfe, where Metcalfe reveals more detailed information about his pioneering work with the Ethernet and what the future holds.

Bob Metcalfe on Metcalfe’s Law, Facebook, and innovation

What I Learned from Bob Metcalfe

Listening to Bob Metcalfe speak last week at Mass Comm Week will definitely go down in the books in my mind as a memorable conversation. It was great hearing him re-tell his personal stories of the early days of Internet that we’ve been studying the last few months. Hearing that his personal motivations for coming up with Ethernet were simply to work towards his degree, made his world-changing invention seem like just another science fair project.

Another thing that Metcalfe spoke about that resonated with me (and I told at least five friends later as I kept thinking about it) was the five things he expects his students in his innovation class at UT to take away with them as they embark on their careers. The five things were: health, speaking, writing, selling and planning. These concepts resonated with me because like most jobs, they are areas that I am constantly trying to improve on in my own job. There will always be room for improvement, but mastering these five things will certainly lead to success. The most thought provoking of the three was definitely health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle proves to be a difficult task while also working hard at the other four objectives, but as Metcalfe said you can’t do it “living on lack of sleep and ramen noodles.” This is just another helpful reminder that success will mean keeping all areas in my life in check.

From a personal standpoint, the most interesting parts of the session for me were his take on career transition and development. One of my questions I didn’t get to ask was if he ever got the urge to leave behind his days working in tech/engineering and try something completely new. He answered my question as he discussed his many career changes throughout the years and by telling us that he believes everyone should go through at least five career changes in their lifetime. Though he worked in different areas of tech innovation, he wasn’t afraid to start over in a new career path even if the choice wasn’t his, as he mentioned when he was demoted from the company he founded. This idea reminded me of Steve Jobs’ sage advice he gave at his Stanford commencement address, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” These words from both Jobs and Metcalfe were very comforting to me and I imagine others on the verge of career transition sitting in the room that night that somehow it will all work out.

Enjoyable evening with Bob Metcalfe!

It was a pleasure meeting and listening to the founder of the ethernet, Bob Metcalfe, Oct. 19. He definitely had some interesting stories and insights. He is one of the few people who believed in something that didn’t even exist yet, having the mindset for innovation that he discussed during his speech. He had a vision for the future that has helped technology get to the point that it is at today.

It was definitely inspirational to hear about someone who overcame obstacles along the way and did not appear to fear failure. It just shows that if you believe in something enough or are determined enough, you can pretty much do anything you set your mind to. It also helps that he is extremely intelligent and established some key contacts early in his career, such as Steve Jobs. Speaking of Steve Jobs, I enjoyed listening to the stories about his interactions with him and double dating in the early years.

I also enjoyed hearing about his perspective on innovation. I think it is great that he is a professor at the University of Texas. Students, especially those who desire to be entrepreneurs, can greatly benefit from his knowledge and experience.

Bob Metcalfe is in that category of the early Internet pioneers who helped make it possible to have the technology we have today.

My time with Bob Metcalfe

I was very fortunate to catch one of the final events of Txstate MC Week, the interview of Bob Metcalfe (co-creator of Ethernet and currently teaching at University of Texas).
The evening started with a social reception at 5pm with finger foods and door prizes. During the reception, I met and briefly chatted with Bob about his current stint at University of Texas and a few other subjects including my educational background.

(the photo above contains Bob Metcalfe engaging in conversation with Texas State professors Dave Nolan, Sandy Rao, a Texas State student, and Cindy Royal)

At 6:30 the interview began. Center stage on the 3rd floor of Old Main, Dr. Cindy Royal began by inciting Bob to talk about his background in the tech field. Bob's long list of achievements begins back in 1973 co-inventing ethernet technology while working for Xerox. It is amazing to see the evolution of internet technology evolve in such a short period of time. The first ethernet cables ran at 10mb/s (megabytes per second), today there are ethernet networks that can run at 100 gb/s (gigabytes!!!! per second). Bob was quite the animated speaker, he displayed child-like ebullience when speaking about the current capacities of ethernet technology.

The interview contained some interesting topics, for instance his experience with Steve Jobs and explaining the theoretical side of ethernet. I personally enjoyed when the topic steered towards innovation of technology. Very rewarding to listen to a professor of innovation talk about innovation; inspiring to say the least. The interview ran about 30 minutes over the scheduled time but that was a minor concern for most in the audience were hunkered down in Old Main's reception hall enjoying the positive resonance of curious queries and useful feedback .
This Video is a segment of the original interview when bob spoke about his relationship with Steve jobs, specifically the "Flat tire Incidient

What do you ask someone who helped change the world?

"So...Bob..."

As a graduate student you are expected to be on your toes, ready to jump at unique educational opportunities at a moment's notice. However, when we were told to have questions ready for Bob Metcalfe, I drew a complete blank. What are you supposed to ask someone that helped put a computer on every desk, in every pocket, and in every hand? He was a part of a group of thinkers that created a technological renaissance that will forever define the present and the future. This was the best I could come up with:

"So...uh...Mr. Metcalfe...what's your opinion on icanhascheezburger.com? Is that the kind of thing you thought you'd be linking the work together to share?"

I just didn't know where to begin. That's okay, though, because just listening was enough to take the grandiosity out of the situation, and realize that (as Metcalfe said), "With the exception of Steve Jobs, no one is a god."

The stories that I love best about successful people are their own stories about the things that they can't do. Metcalfe started his time at Mass Comm week by telling us that he dropped out of the architecture college because he couldn't even draw his own hand. He explained that if you can't do something, that's fine, just move on to what you can do. That was wonderfully humanizing and a great way to simplify the ease in which your life can be redirected, as opposed to getting stopped at dead ends. Of course Metcalfe strikes me as the kind of guy that doesn't believe in dead ends. He just gets a sledge hammer and yells, "LOOK OUT!", as he barrels through. I dug up a 'Wired' article from 1998 that details how he recovered from getting the boot from his own company - he just did every single other job possible.

Which leads to his next great point, that any level of success in this world is equal parts preparation and equal parts pure luck. Although those ratios can be frustrating for some, it's a very nice reminder that we're all on a level playing field with the luck thing, but by working hard you can be prepared to grab it when it comes.

The third topic that I found most interesting about Mr. Metcalfe was his explanation of the popularity of social media. It's so simple, but I never thought of it before: it makes people feel famous. Your Facebook page, your Twitter feed, all of your followers, it's all just a micro world that you create filled with people who choose to have you on their radar. These people pay attention to what you say (for the most part), and we check our facebooks daily just to see how many of our 'fans' looked at what we had to say. It's so simple, and so true. Social media is a way to reach out into the world, but it's also a way to feel like the world is reaching specifically for us. And who doesn't want to feel like the center of the universe (even if it's self-made)?

My final point, is going to be an honest opinion about people who are really good at something. There is a certain presence about those who can do things like create magic with technology, or are skilled surgeons, are fantastic actors, or master chefs. I will call these people 'Supers'.

They know that they are more skilled than many people. Much more skilled. And how a 'Super' chooses to present themselves to the people who they know that they are better than, can speak volumes about what the rest of their self is like.

I will not give my opinion either way about Metcalfe's demeanor specifically, but I will comment on what he said about Steve Jobs.

Jobs was an ultimate 'Super'. But, apparently Jobs was not so nice to a lot of people. It really seems like people feared him, and would do anything not to cross him. When Metcalfe was asked if he thinks that this 'god-like' behavior was a justified means to an end, he said, "Yes."

And I have to disagree. When you're brilliant, driven, and respected, your ideas will be implemented. If you've caught the luck train, and you've done the work, and the world knows that you are a 'Super', there's no need to scare them into it. I know that in the public eye, Jobs was a hero, but it makes me wonder how many people he hurt in the process.

It's always nice to meet these 'Super' people, it's wonderful to learn that they are human and not perfect at everything. I just hope that most of them have kindness as a tenant to their success. Everyone wants a piece of fame (that's why we're on social media, right?!), but fame is fleeting and your contributions can erode with time. Hopefully people, both 'Super' and us 'Supers-in-waiting', can find a way to change the world for the better, while being personally remembered by others as the best.

Metcalfe, Patino

One thing that really struck me was how approachable and down to earth Bob Metcalfe is. He made it possible to easily connect at least one aspect of my life to his. Metcalfe and I spoke about Texan's unique language as well as when to wear cowboy boots. He strongly encouraged everyone at the session to be innovating and to look for things to improve in our everyday life. Metcalfe also said that he expected our generation to come up with the cure for cancer, explaining that was how he lost his first wife and another one of his close friends was currently battling it. I was also shocked that he failed defending his thesis. I think it brought me back to the mind frame that even inventors and people I look up to are still human and still have failures.  

In addition to listening to Bob Metcalfe, I was at the session about The New American Reality sponsored by The Center for the Study of Latino Media & Markets.  While Luis Patino, VP General Manager of Univison San Antonio, was a animated speaker, I found myself wondering the during the presentation where he got some of his information or that they were not providing all the data they gathered. In addition, some of their graphs could have used some more definitions. I realize that it is not always possible to give this data, but it was still a little irritating.

Meeting Bob Metcalfe

"An Evening with Bob Metcalfe" was a unique opportunity for us graduate students. It was amazing to speak with and hear such an innovator speak, someone who has changed all of our lives. Where would we be without Ethernet? Our lives would definitely be different.

Not only was this such a neat opportunity, but Mr. Metcalfe's demeanor made it easy to talk to him and ask him questions. My favorite part was when he talked about his time at Harvard getting his PhD. It was interesting to hear his disdain for Harvard and some of his former professors. I don't know what I would have done if I found out a week before graduation that my dissertation was rejected. I would have been devasted, but Mr. Metcalfe just continued to persevere and earned his PhD.

I also enjoyed when he talked about his relationship with Steve Jobs, it was funny when he told the story about how he changed a flat tire. Probably the only thing Steve Jobs and I had in common was our inability to change a flat! His story about how he found out about Steve Job's death at a bar was touching.

I like that he is teaching innovation at UT, because there seems no one more qualified to teach innovation than Mr. Metcalfe. Also, I like how he basically went to UT and told them that he was teaching Innovation, basically creating his own course.

I also was pretty happy when I answered his mind puzzle correctly. I'm usually not good at things like that, so I was a bit proud!

All in all, it was a wonderful experience getting to speak with a true innovator! Here's an article and sound from Mr. Metcalfe's talk at SXSW.

Making something today that will mean something tomorrow.

With the tech-world changing and developing so rapidly around us, it’s nice to look back at where it all started. Bob Metcalfe’s visit to Mass Communication Week at Texas State took us back to a time where information was never thought of in terms the Internet, the web, or advanced search engines. He truly had to think beyond existing technology to create what he created and that’s what it will take for the next great idea of our generation to happen.

I enjoyed Metcafe’s story of ingenuity and perseverance, but his ideas on innovation are what had the greatest impact on me. His metaphor of “invention is a flower, innovation in a weed,” has never been truer than it is today. To see his full quote regarding this idea, read this article. The increased availability to technology today gives everyone the tools to change archaic systems and create new ways of preforming simple tasks. Innovation is a weed that keeps evolving more rapidly as one innovation makes another more possible. To add to his idea, it seems that innovation itself can flower into invention. In other words, several great innovations could lead to one ultimate game changing invention. Metcalfe also points out that we don’t necessarily need one great, game changing invention, rather we just need to improve and prefect what already exists.

No one could see that Metcalfe's contribution of the Ethernet was an outstanding invention in its infantile stages, but further innovation in other realms of computer networking and data transfer made his idea more and more relevant to the world. Metcalfe, like Steve Jobs, truly possesses the ability to peek into the future, and make something today that will mean something tomorrow. I think it's great that he came and shared his views on innovation with us and that he does so on a weekly basis with his students at UT. With people like Metcalfe constantly challenging the minds of others to think forward when it comes to technology, our world will continue to benefit from innovation.

Enjoyed Bob Metcalfe Speak

Thursday's session with Bob Metcalfe was very interesting. I didn't know what to expect before going there, but I thought that it was very good. It was nice to see someone who made such a big impact on the world today, be so humble. He came across as very easy to talk to, and was willing to engage in converstaions with everyone.


It was cool to listen to his background. From where he sent to school, to how he made his first company, to where he is now. He originally wanted to be an arhitect, and then number theory and computer technology both came around before he settled on industrial management. Both MIT (where he received his bachelor's) and Harvard (where he received his PhD) are two very prestigous schools. It was funny to hear him talk about how he was denied his PhD the first time, and how he had to do his dissertation again. It made everyone in the room realize, that in some ways he is just like us. Even though we may not get it the first time, just keep trying and things will fall into place.

His memories of Steve Jobs were very heartfelt. He spoke of his first meeting with Jobs, to their double date at the opera, and eventually Metcalfe's wedding; where Jobs was in attendance.

Metcalfe had some good quotes during his session. The best one to me was probably, "If you go and change the past, you can really screw up the future." I thought this quote could relate to everyone in the world. The things we do now, shape us for the future. Life is a revolving lesson.

I think that it is very nice that Metcalfe is a professor of innovation at UT. It's good to give back to the youth of today,a nd teaching a class is a good start. The five thinsg he teaches are "Health, Speaking, Writing, Planning, and Selling." I hope his students are squeezing him for all the knowledge possible! You can also follow him on Twitter @BobMetcalfe

An Evening with Bob Metcalfe

Meeting Bob Metcalfe yesterday evening was a great honor and pleasure. I was looking forward to his interview, but did not expect such funny answers to sometimes rather technical questions.

Metcalfe talked at length about his years in college and the events that led to his invention of the Ethernet. It was really interesting to hear about his determination to get his Ph. D. from Harvard, a university he did not particularly get along with, while conducting his research at MIT and eventually taking a job in Palo Alto, 3000 miles away, while working on his dissertation.

Right around the time Metcalfe started his company 3Com, he was lucky enough to meet Steve Jobs, who wanted to recruit him, but failed in part because Metcalfe was 9 years older than Jobs. Still the two men became friends and Jobs even attended Metcalfe's wedding (which is not something to wish for according to Metcalfe, since seeing Steve there is now the only thing people remember about the happy occasion). Metcalfe had some other great stories about Jobs and it was really great to get a little bit better insight into the life Jobs led.

It was interesting to hear about Metcalfe's views on failure (he was fired as CEO from his own company - much like Steve Jobs) and innovation and it was definitely an evening well spent.