For the past couple of decades or so, you're right. HP was founded in 1939. In its first couple of decades the HP way described management practices that were u

For the past couple of decades or so, you're right. HP was founded in 1939. In its first couple of decades the HP way described management practices that were unusual for their time. Bill and Dave were still visiting the varied HP divisions in the late 1970s (when I went to work for HP in Colorado). Hewlett was succeeded by John Young as CEO in 1978. Both Hewlett and Packard left the board of directors in 1993. It certainly is a very tough job to establish a good culture that can last the test of time. Compared to many other founders, though, I personally don't think they did that badly, though of course many others disagree. While HP itself lost its way in the 1990s, many of these ideals were adopted by other companies or taken to new companies by HP employees.