Steve Blank’s "Secret History of Silicon Valley" talk at Computer History Museum 11-20-08

Hidden in Plain Sight:The Secret History of Silicon ValleySteve Blankhttp://www.stanford.edu/dept/MSandE/people/teaching/blank/index.htmlhttp://www.haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/blank.htmlThe Genesis of Silicon Valley EntrepreneurshipMarc Andressen InternetSteve Jobs PersonalComputersGordon Moore IntegratedCircuitsInnovation NetworksDefenseHewlett & Packard 195019601970198019902000Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyA few caveats• Not a professional historian• Some of this is probably wrong• All “secrets” are from open-source literatureHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eySix Short StoriesHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyStory 1: WWII The First Electronic WarHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyStrategic Bombing of GermanyThe Combined Bomber Offensive• British bombed at Night– Area Bombing• Lancaster's• Halifax• Flew at 7 - 17 thousand feet• The American’s by Day– Precision Bombing• B-17’s• B-24’s• Flew at 15 - 25 thousand feetHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyBritish and American Air War in Europe28,000 Active Combat Planes40,000 planes lost or damaged beyond repair:18,000 American and 22,000 British79,265 Americans and 79,281 British killedHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyThe German Air Defense SystemThe Kammhuber Line• Integrated Electronic air defense network– Covered France, the Low Countries, and intonorthern Germany• Protection from British/US bomber raids– Warn and Detect– Target and Aim– DestroyHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val eyEarly Warning Radars in Occupied FranceHidden in Plain Sight: The Secret History of Silicon Val ey