Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
"Admired as a visionary leader and brilliant business mind, feared as a ruthless and formidable competitor, and loathed as an egomaniac with an explosive temper, Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison has emerged as one of the most controversial figures in a sea of brilliant, eccentric Silicon Valley luminaries.
But for such a high-profile character, Ellison maintains an enigmatic air, and his superachieving, multimillion-dollar company remains a rarely studied entity. Now, The Oracle of Oracle goes behind the scenes to uncover the breakthrough ideas and winning strategies that have propelled Oracle's phenomenal growth and breathtaking success.
The book walks readers through Oracle's fascinating history since its relational database hit the market in 1977, identifying and explaining strategies such as:
* Forge ahead and fix weaknesses--lessons from the early 90s when Oracle derailed, but was nursed back to health.
* Grow the Oracle way--by making new products, not acquiring new companies.
* Crush the competition--it's not enough to succeed; all others must fail.
* Sales today make markets tomorrow--tap into the sales force to develop products, promote a vision, beat competitors.
The Oracle of Oracle is an intriguing, illuminating read for entrepreneurs who wonder what it takes to build a world-class company from scratch...for managers and executives who want to integrate Oracle's philosophies and culture into their own...and for business readers who relish an up-close report from the battle zones of the software industry."
About the Author
Florence Stone (New York, NY) is the author of nine books, including Coaching, Counseling, & Mentoring, The High-Value Manager, and (under the pen name Rebecca Saunders) Business the Amazon.com Way and Business the Dell Way.
Table of Contents
"1. A Quick History Lesson: Who Is Larry Ellison? What Is Oracle?
2. A View from the Sidelines
3. Fix Weaknesses and Forge Ahead
4. Grow the Oracle Way
5. Crush the Competition
6. Customer Relationships
7. Product Development
8. Sales Today Make Markets Tomorrow
9. Know Your People
10. Build Partnerships
11. Ellison as Oracle, Ellison as Leader
12. Going for the Gold"