Has Intel lost its mojo?

As great an achievement as it was, the release of the Intel 4004 was merely a very small step towards the company’s rise to global dominance in the semiconductor industry. As Tim Jackson notes in “Inside Intel” (1997), the commercial introduction of the world’s first microprocessor “did not yet make the company stand out far from other startups trying to make money from the uncertain new technology of integrated electronics.”

More than anything, what drove Intel’s success was a ruthless commitment to flawless execution, Jackson argues. “It became a company whose slogan was to deliver – to make sure its good ideas were turned into practical products that customers could use, that arrived on schedule and at prices that fell consistently year by year. This transformation was no mean feat. It forced Intel to become rigorously organized and focused, and to find a balance that allowed it to keep firm control over its operations without jeopardizing the creativity of the scientists who were its greatest asset.”