Hardware Podcasts

Dell Computers: Michael Dell

How I Built This · 29 Jan 2018 · 48m

What this episode covers

Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computers, explains how he launched the company from his University of Texas dorm room in 1983 by selling PC upgrade kits, specifically hard drive subsystems, to local businesses and universities. He details the direct-to-consumer business model that allowed Dell to undercut IBM on price while offering superior speed, and describes the critical decision to implement on-site service to differentiate from competitors. Dell also recounts early regulatory struggles with the FCC and strategic missteps, such as the failed Dell UNIX project, which shaped the company's evolution into a global enterprise.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Dell Computers, IBM, Compaq, Texas Instruments, QuickBooks
Products
Apple 2, IBM PC, Dell UNIX, Wash. It. Later.

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