Management by necessity

Borland International Inc.'s founder, Philippe R. Kahn, flaunts standards of conduct, capital, and market, while building, at $82 million in sales for fiscal 1988, one of the largest microcomputer software manufacturers in the country. In a recent interview, Kahn explained how he built his comp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Inc. (Boston, Mass.) Mass.), 1989-03, Vol.11 (3), p.32
Main Authors: Lyons, Nancy J, Mamis, Robert A
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Behavior
Capitalists and financiers
Case studies
Chief executive officers
Company business management
Computer software industry
Corporate management
Corporate profiles
Entrepreneurs
Executives
Interviews
Kahn, Philippe
Management
New business enterprises
Personal profiles
Software industry
Startups
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Summary:Borland International Inc.'s founder, Philippe R. Kahn, flaunts standards of conduct, capital, and market, while building, at $82 million in sales for fiscal 1988, one of the largest microcomputer software manufacturers in the country. In a recent interview, Kahn explained how he built his company without venture capital or a business plan. Kahn confides that the success of Borland relied heavily on one advertisement and a well-executed ploy to obtain good terms for the ad space. Following the takeoff of his Turbo Pascal programming package, Kahn resisted corporate hierarchy because he felt that good ideas might get lost within it. One good idea that is primarily responsible for Borland's growth was selling software through the mail. Although mail order had been ruled out by the major software manufacturers, other businesses were using mail order successfully. After turning down a $75-million bid from McGraw-Hill, Kahn took Borland public on the London Exchange in July 1986.
ISSN:0162-8968