Welcome: Introduction

photo of Dr. Beyster on his boat

Hello — Bob Beyster here. I would like to welcome you to my blog. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with those of you who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with over the past three decades, and with those of you who I have yet to meet.

So, why am I doing a blog? Frankly, I’m getting bored with retirement and I need to get out of the house more. It’s been almost two years since I left SAIC, and I miss being part of a dynamic and entrepreneurial company. My hope is that this will be a place where we can engage in interesting discussions (and even debates) about employee ownership, interesting new technologies, other topics regarding the state of the Nation, or anything else that might happen to be on my mind.

The good news is that I’m doing fine these days — replacing daily running with long walks, relaxing on the boat, spending time in the office a few times a week, and I’m anxious to dive into new exciting projects.

One of these new projects is a business book I’m working on that will attempt get to the bottom of what made SAIC the success story that it is today. I’m hoping that some of our discussions might find their way into the book, and I look forward to your insights and opinions on what has made SAIC such a unique place to work for more than three decades now.

I’m planning to post messages here at least once a week — perhaps more when things get rolling. I value your perspectives and opinions. Remember:

None of us is as smart as all of us.

Be sure to visit my blog regularly, or sign up for an email notification when I post something new.

Before I close, I would like to take the time to thank those of you who sent me your well wishes last year when I was having some medical challenges. Knowing I have so many friends who care about me warms my heart and makes me very proud to have worked with each one of you.

Bob


93 Responses to “Welcome: Introduction”

  1. 1 John Dickerson

    Great to hear/read that you’re doing well. Your planned effort to author a business book should keep you busy, and I look forward to its publication. Life within the automotive industry (i.e. here at Ford) is certainly a challenge, but I remain confident that we are evolving into a better company and will return to consistent and global profitability soon. Take care. JohnD

  2. 2 Troy Sears

    Dr. Beyster,

    It is nice to hear from you and I look forward to your future submissions. My mother, Diana Colton (then Diana Marchant), worked at SAI in the early 70’s and it had a large impact on my life. You might know me as the owner of Stars & Stripes and Abracadabra, the IACC vessels here in San Diego. We just brought America into San Diego and would love to take you for a sail.

    Sincerely,

    Troy Sears

  3. 3 Dave Cox

    I’m glad you are doing this. The creativity that made SAIC a success was enabled by the concept that “none of us is as smart as all of us”. I’m looking forward to helping out where I can and seeing what others have to say as well.

  4. 4 Steve Hutchison

    Dr. B,
    Glad to have the chance to connect with you by way of your blog. Certainly there is much to discuss given the state of international, national, local and SAIC events. I am pleased to hear of your recovery. I look forward to reading more in the future. Good luck to you.

  5. 5 Mary Ann Beyster

    Dad, I am so pleased that you decided to write your story about SAIC. The company has been a journey for all of us—you, employee-owners, those who worked with SAIC, your family and friends, etc. We all have stories of this journey, and it’s great that you have created an avenue to share those stories and gain perspectives. Once again, you have shown a willingness to apply an unconventional approach to a well-established process (in this case, writing a book). May the power of internet technology; bring you many joys! Your loving daughter, M.A.

  6. 6 Scott Dowell

    Dr Beyster,
    So good to hear from you and know that you are doing well. This will be an excellent forum as so many benefit from your sage advice, thoughts and experience.

    Topic for discussion — I am interested in your thoughts and other readers of this blog in the continually emerging trend of Service Oriented Enterprise. Meaning that our companies are comprised of a set of capabilities – or “services” — such as back office, or software development for a customer. To me, one of the interesting trends is that how capitalism has “flattened” (Thomas Friedman) the playing field and how through technology we can subscribe to vendors who deliver the best “service” value. The Services theme can be found at the Strategy level (goals, objs), Applications (SOA), and infrastructure (grid, autonomic, service level automation). So the Service theme spans the proverbial “stack” and will be managed through SLAs and operational contracts.

    Any thoughts on what businesses of the future will look like? A set of inter-connected services using vendors to support commodity business services?

  7. 7 Don Foley

    Bob…I can sense your excitement in your intro. I’m glad things are well. Greece has become quite a challenge for me. When I get discouraged I remember your advice…break the problem into pieces…and solve one piece at a time. Thanks for being my mentor. Best of luck. Keep working…Don Foley

  8. 8 Paul A. Strassmann

    Dr. Beyster:

    Scott Dowell is kicking off an opportunity to talk about the future of innovation in information technologies. The SOA that DoD is chasing these days has neglected to deal with the need to re-engineer its information infrastructure.

    May I offer Google as a suitable new model how to propel entrepreneurial growth by short-cutting the research-to-use cycle from years to weeks?

    Paul

    There is a web video lecture on Google as the pattern for the future on
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6682253938984655269

  9. 9 Jackie Rupp

    Dr. Beyster – it’s good to see you looking so great! I’ve always loved your sense of humor, and appreciated your interest in your employees.

    Best wishes to you and your family

  10. 10 Kevin Winstead

    By virtue of this email I may have made the Top 10 (of responders at least). I know it will be somewhat distasteful for you due to modesty, but there really should be something in the book about how the Company, the concept and the experience changed the lives of so many of us. Maybe some testimonial comments on the book jacket. Especially since had we not experienced this we might otherwise of had ordinary lives. Instead, we had the ride of a lifetime and always had confidence in the company leadership to make considered decisons, do the right thing and be a discriminating custodian of our stock ownership. The time is right to say it: Thank you.

  11. 11 Rose Cofone

    Hello Dr. B,
    It’s great to see you looking good and feeling well.
    I heard from Ron Arnold about your blog, what a great idea!

    My experiences at SAIC are unforgettable. In fact, whenever
    I present my business resume I always enjoy telling the SAIC story.

    Since the last time I saw you (@ 3-1/2 yrs.ago) I have embarked on a brand new journey. I am a professional fitness trainer and nutrition consultant, and am working towards finishing a master’s degree in exercise physiology. I’m excited about the fall because I will be doing a clinical rotation in cardiac rehabilitation. I have fallen in love with science, Dr. B., something I would not have predicted having been a driven MBA.

    Your words about how one person can truly make a difference have stuck with me…and I do believe it’s true. I enjoy helping people and hope that in some small way I can help make a difference in the quality of their lives.

    I think of you often, and the extraordinary opportunities you offered when we were working at SAIC. Best wishes on your book, and may the “power of the universe conspire to move you in whatever direction you are ready to go” (Dr. Dyer).

  12. 12 Chris Smith

    Hi Dr. Beyster – This BLOG is a great idea & am so glad you’re doing it. Look forward to hearing your comments on Employee Ownership, technology and the state of the nation. Also glad to see your picture and know your health is on the upswing.

    As you know I am REALLY looking forward to seeing your book in final form – I can hardly wait. I hope that it is going well and stays on schedule! I think the world is ready for more on EO & your secrets of success in that area.

    I’ll check back & blog often. Thanks so much for putting this blog together & allowing some of your mystic followers a chance to commune, communicate and share.
    Chris Smith

  13. 13 john armstrong

    I’m glad to hear you are doing better!

  14. 14 Bill Proffer

    Excellent! This is so much better than getting faxed emails from you!

    :’)

    I am really looking forward to reading your thoughts in this forum.

    Best wishes from myself, Terri and Quinn.

    cheers,

    Bill

  15. 15 Ron Zollars

    Hi Bob,

    I was very pleased to hear about your new blog site! What a great way for people to keep in contact with you and hear about the latest developments on your upcoming book and other events at the Foundation for Enterprise Development (FED). I well remember when you were first getting the FED started in early ’86 and the first conference we had in Washington, D.C. with Russell Long, Jeff Gates and others. It certainly was an exciting time and it’s nice to see how many people and companies have benefited from your expertise on employee ownership. I too, am really looking forward to the release of your book. I’m sure that compiling all the facts and requisite research has been an exhaustive process. I commend all of those people involved with this Herculean task. The SAIC story is one that should be shared with the rest of the world! We all owe you a debt of gratitude for everything you’ve done. I’m happy to hear that you are feeling a lot better these days! My very best wishes to you and all of your family!

    Sincerely,

    Ron Z.

  16. 16 Billy Bingham

    Sir,
    Anxious to hear about the book. You are looking great, fit and ready to get started on the book writing venture. John Grisham/Peter Drucker, look out. Based on your teaching, have invested in a small company doing SW and Sys Eng work with NSA, CIA and NGA. Too much to do to quit and play golf. Miss our aperiodic meetings where I learned a tremendous amount about life, business and our great company that has all of your markings.

  17. 17 Bill Hagan

    Bob,

    This blog is a great idea! Like everyone else, I am looking forward to keeping up to date with your activities and thoughts as well as interacting electronically. The book is long overdue – the story is so great, unique, and positive that it is bound to have an impact on many people’s perspectives. I would like to echo a thought from Kevin Winstead about including (or at least collecting) stories from employees who had life-changing experiences from working with you at SAIC. I feel very blessed myself and I know there are many like me. Just ask and we will tell!

    Best Regards,
    Bill Hagan

  18. 18 Chuck Nichols

    Hi Bob—
    I’m delighted to hear that you will be completing the SAIC memoir. It is a unique story that will be of great benefit to a generation of future entrepreneurs. Many of us feel that the SAIC experience literally defined our adulthood. If I can be of service, just call. Meanwhile, don’t forget to sail every chance you get.
    Chuck

  19. 19 Jordan becker

    Thanks for the Blog and the RSS feed to keep up to date. As you have been a collaboration tools pioneer (you introduced us to Groove and other new tools), you might consider compiling some of the key information into a Wiki as an experiment.

    A related thought that might help anchor some of the research on this topic would be constructing a summary of the principles by which the company was run over the years. I came to appreciate many of these good basic business principles that I learned from you, some of which were well documented, and others which were important to the success of the company, but were less well documented.

    In any case, thanks for creating this forum, and I look forward to helping out where I can.

    Jordan

  20. 20 Randy Vosti

    Dr. Beyster-

    Writing a book=100% timesold
    Sailing=0% timesold

    Your plan is 50%.

    Report back often on your progress (or no guideline $ for you!)

    Cheers to you.

    RV

  21. 21 Peter Stocks

    Bob

    It wonderful to see you fit and ready for the fray again.

    Like many others my perspective on business and life were changed by working for SAIC. It was a unique place with a very different business model which allowed many of us to find the entrepreneur inside us. Your leadership provided a balance of the freedom to innovate, with good business controls. It also gave us wisdom and a fine sense of humour.

    The business book is a great idea and needs to tell the SAIC story to the rest of the world. Hopefully others will be inspired with it and create new businesses using the SAIC model. I know it will be a hard task for you due to your inate modesty.

    I did not get in the first ten respondents, but I am the first Englishman on the blog! I look forward to reading the blog and hearing from and about old colleagues.

    Good luck and best wishes.

    Peter Stocks

  22. 22 Bill Marlow

    Bob –

    THIS IS GREAT! I have missed the opportunity to challenge conventional thinking and directions on technology, particularly security and communications. I look forward to your perspective, and those who choose to comment on new and exciting technologies as well as the challenging the status quo of policy and process.

    Glad to hear you are feeling better and putting together a blog – this is an excellent way for outstanding community of friends to interact.

    My VERY Best,

    Bill

    “Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation EXCELLENT. I am attacking.” – Marshal Ferdinand Foch

  23. 23 Charlie Deel

    Dr. Beyster.
    Thank you doesn’t begin to express the appreciation I have for you and my colleagues at SAIC. My entire professional career has been here, where I have pursued technical challanges freely, solved interesting problems, and worked with exceptionally bright people.

    When I interviewed for a job with SAI, Bill Layson told me something in the interview that, in my mind, captures the spirit of this company. He said, Charlie there will be days that we will ask you to be the “expert” on things that your formal education didn’t prepare you for. At the time, I didn’t really get it, but I do now. This company gives us the opportunity to constantly learn – to face new problems head-on and help solve them.

    I’m glad to see you healthier and re-engaged. I wish you the best in this new pursuit and look forward to reading the dialogue here and in your new book.

    Respectfully yours,
    Charlie

  24. 24 David Houghton

    Greetings – the notion of a blog and a book feel like natural next steps, demonstrating your insatiable need for challenges/stimulating activity as well as documenting a terrific story. You’re living my credo, which I need to continue to remind myself of: this life of ours is not a dress rehearsal. Trust the longhorns will get a picture in the book ;-)

  25. 25 David Bacon

    Bob -

    It is wonderful to hear that you are FINALLY tired of retirement and ready to do real work again. A book to spread the dream of entrepreneurship is long overdue and I look forward to reading it. One point – you will need to update your book a bit to reflect the new reality. Just note that the “terms and conditions” of your blog would NEVER have crossed your mind in 1969 when you started SAI (before the “C”)!

    I wish you the best – and thank you for MANY years of enjoyment!

    Regards,

    David Bacon

  26. 26 Brian Dealy

    Dr. Beyster,

    Excellent idea! We miss you very much.
    regards,
    Brian Dealy

  27. 27 Gil Binninger

    Dr. B.
    So happy to hear you are feeling better. Trust all of your familiy is doing well. Looking forward to exchanging thoughts on topics of interest. The blog is a great idea. Stay well, and look forward to once again being challenged by your thoughts and ideas.
    Your friend … Gil B

  28. 28 Allen Herskowitz

    Great to see you active and instigating the thought processes of those you come into contact with. That was one of the secrets of SAIC.

    I think that a discussion of what SAIC was – and why it was so spectacular a place to work – will be both informative and endlessly interesting. I hope I can add to the discussion along the way.

    Sue and I send our very best regards
    Allen Herskowitz

  29. 29 Alex Larzelere

    Dr B,

    It is wonderful to hear from you and I think this will be a great forum to assist you in your book and to communicate your vision of EO. It seems that there has been a lot of “fuss and bother” about EO these days and I think it obscures the real power of it. It seems to me that the real potential of EO is the idea of ALL employees taking ownership and responsibility for the future of the company. The actual technical “owning” of the company is just something that naturally follows from that.

    I love the idea of you writing a book on the subject of EO since I think it will provide an important resource for those of us trying to implement the ideas you instilled at SAIC. Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to go back and study a successful government program. I would suggest that one of the things that made it successful was EO, in the sense of owning responsibility for the success of the program, if not the actual ownership.

    Good luck on your efforts and I am sure you can count on the contributors to this forum to help in any way.

    Best Regards,

    Alex Larzelere

  30. 30 Neil Hutchinson

    Bob, it’s terrific to see you’re feeling better and have embarked on a long overdue mission:DOCUMENT WHAT MADE SAIC TICK! I have a number of thoughts on that subject from my own perspective and will share them when I can get to it. Meantime, thanks for the opportunities and support you gave all of us…it was quite a ride!

    Neil

  31. 31 Mark Hughes

    Bob,

    It’s great to hear from you! I learned more from you about technology, business, management, and people in our regular meetings than I learned in any other way. I will always be grateful to you for that and I think a book on the management principals that created the culture of SAIC is a great way to make those lessons available to everyone. I look forward to contributing in any way I can.

  32. 32 Tom Munnecke

    Thanks so much for the great experience I had with 18 years at SAIC. I look forward to your book. You might consider podcasting your story, too. Just sit down with an audio recorder or in front of a video camera and tell you stories – for archival purposes, if nothing else. It’s simple to add this to this blog, so that folks can hear and see your story, not just read the text.

  33. 33 alan holman

    Bob– great news that you are well and raring for more action !!
    I’m also retired now, but like to keep close tabs on SAIC friends
    ( even Jim Idell ) and projects. I still have copy of video with Jim’s
    welcome to San Diego to work for you, and you greeting him
    wearing Groucho glasses; now those were the fun days !!!

    take care,
    al holman

  34. 34 Stevie Hall

    Hi, Dr. Beyster, I’m glad to have a way to say hello and thank you for all you’ve done for me through SAIC. You are an inspiring leader and I feel privileged to have worked with you. I wish you the very best with your blog and all your new careers.

    Very sincerely,

    Stevie Hall

  35. 35 John Coble

    Dr. B,

    It is great to see your smiling face and that glint in your eye again. It is a rarity that a leader these days is able to take a company from start-up to Fortune 300. Let alone direct and live through the challenges and changes over 3 decades. You still have much to teach us all, I look forward to future collaborations. I’m sure the journey your book will take you on will prove rewarding and hopefully break some new ground as well. Great to see you blogging!!!

    Your friend,
    John Coble

  36. 36 Tony Taravella

    Glad to see your still active, Dr. Beyster. I’ve been working at SAIC for 17 years now and I intend to retire here. I’m proud to be part of the team.

    Best Regards,
    Tony Taravella
    Security

  37. 37 David Kay

    Dr. B, I look forward to your reflections, but even more to you explorations of the future. Your passion for lifelong learning and to continue the Search remains an inspiration for many of us. Best, David

  38. 38 Bill Hillegeist

    Dear Dr B,

    how nice to find this link to the man I have admired for so many years. I joined SAIC in 1983 to support Dave Heebner and the Military Sciences Group. We both remember the Saudi RSNF contract that I personally think put SAIC on the map as an IT company

    I am pleased you are staying busy and think the book on SAIC’s success would be a must-read for any business student.

    I am now retired, took five years of part time to get there, but enjoyed setting my own pace, teaching financial and employee-ownership courses for SAIC. I miss the people, but not the pace.

    I wish you, Betty and your family continued good health and happiness.

  39. 39 Kay Johnson

    Bob, I agree with all the good wishes and I especially agree with Al Holman’s “those were the days.” Glad that you are smiling and that you keep having fun!
    I’ll help where I can. Till Later – Kay

  40. 40 Scott Dowell

    Thanks for the link Mr. Strassman. It was a very good lecture.

    I am collaborating on an Enterprise architecture text — professing the importance of business services, and SLAs, and the service oriented context/business model in the emerging global economy.

    As I make frequent trips to Fairfax, perhaps we could discuss at some point?

  41. 41 Peter Mikhalevsky

    Bob, It was a real treat running into you at the Estancia a few months back. I’m happy to hear you are taking on this new challenge. There is a lot of talk about the “secret sauce” at SAIC these days. We all know it when we taste it… but it’s time for the cookbook! Perhaps we can all contribute some recipes. We certainly learned a few from the master chef! All the best.

    -pete

  42. 42 Marc Warburton

    Bob: Really good to hear you are doing better. The Blog is a great idea. We are all looking forward to your reflections and insights. Here is something I’d love to hear you discuss: Did SAI(C) HAVE to change to grow? Did your model really breakdown at $4B? Thanks for a great 20 years. Marc

  43. 43 Marv Langston

    Dr. B,

    Great idea and a great way for all of us to connect with you again. We and the world need your wisdom to be captured for the future and this seems like a great way to move that along. As always new technologies are wonderful but somehow the challenges contine to pace or outpace our solutions. As the world continues to globalize, the challenges are global and the need for solutions are more critical. Your leadership and management wisdom and passion for good solutions can be a catalyst to a better future. marv

  44. 44 Steve Rizzi

    Bob:

    You’ll remember the assignment that you gave me to assist the Harvard Business School in understanding SAIC when they were doing their work on companies with unique “growth engines.” What an eye opener it was to explain to the folks at Harvard how it all worked… it was then that I truly realized how unique the company was/is. You’re commitment to capturing that formula in writing is extremely important — the company has been an exciting experiment in both business and social dynamics which has yielded results that have not always been intuitive to predict.

    You can count on many of us to help you in this endeavor. Just let us know how we can support you.

    Rizzi

  45. 45 Jim Barber

    Dr. Beyster:

    It’s great to hear from you! Any book written by Bob Beyster would be an interesting read, but I think your book on the unique story of SAIC, written from your perspective, will be particularly interesting. I look forward to following your blog.

    Jim

  46. 46 Mike Flanagan

    Dr. B:

    Re: SAIC’s Secret Sauce

    You once told me that one of the best decisions you ever made was to not take the Company public. That freed you from having to deal with industry analysts and Wall Street Brokers, and allowed you the time to concentrate on developing the business pursuits that interested you. Perhaps that was the real ‘secret sauce’ that made SAIC such a unique success, and a great place to work.

    Scott Dowell’s string on Service Oriented business models is both a very interesting and timely subject. Our customers are requesting ‘Managed Services’ solutions, tied to performance-based contracts, Statements of Objectives, and SLAs, but there seems to be no consistency to how these terms are defined or implemented. I’ll look forward to following this line of discussion.

    Please continue to provide your perspectives on the continuing evolution of our industry. Its great to hear you are doing well. All the best to you and Betty,

    Regards, Mike

  47. 47 David Ball

    Dr. B. — It certainly was comforting to hear you are doing well and getting back into doing what you really enjoy doing. I am very pleased to have received the site to your blog and look forward to reading many many more episodes. I do miss you here at SAIC. You, and your company (SAIC), have made a major impact on my life and I thank you for all you have done for me and my family. Stay healthy, enjoy your self, and continue to change lives for the better.

    Sincerely…………..David

  48. 48 Don DeCoteau

    Hey Dr. Beyster,

    Glad to see that you are doing well and that you have found something to hold your interest. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at SAIC, but, I am glad I left when I did. I also got bored after I left but now I am involved with a startup that keeps me way to busy.

    I wish you all the best with your new book and other endeavors.

    Don

  49. 49 Steve Dalich

    Hello Bob — Good to hear from you and to find out you’r doing well and working on THE BOOK. Since I retired we have had many conversations in the dreams that seem to be one of the legacies of 25+ years with SAIC. The dreams are almost all good, as were the years I spent working with you. Your blog is yet another great idea!

    Steve

  50. 50 Ellen Ziegler Ward

    Dear Dr. Beyster,

    As so well expressed by others – it’s great to see you looking fit and hearing that you are well. I’m glad, but I miss seeing you occasionally around Campus Point.

    Your Blog and book are terrific ideas. I look forward to staying up-to-date with your progress and the discussions.

    Most importantly, please know that I am extremely grateful and fortunate for being part of SAIC for nearly 20 years. The unique culture and opportunies at SAIC shaped an unworldly kid into a customer- and community-focused, outward-looking adult. I am a better person for my life at SAIC than I might have been anywhere else. Yep, there was magic in the SAIC culture you created. Thank you, Dr. B!

    Respectfully and with best wishes,
    Ellen Ziegler Ward

  51. 51 Gary Bell

    I just learned of your site from Joyce Standish. The combination of Dr. B and Mike Daniels as my bosses was a dream come true. As one of those guys that was neither in San Deigo or McLean, I assumed that we would be like lost children but soon learned that the culture that Dr. Beyster created in SAIC did not allow people or organizations to be lost. My fondest memory is of Dr. B telling me that a bid was a “Can’t Lose” and then having to explain how we “could lose”.

    I look forward to the continuing research into what made SAIC special (other than the leader). The culture of fighting among ourselves but not allowing others to even make a negative comment about the Company was so very special.

    Gary Bell

  52. 52 Donna Cunningham

    I look forward to reading your blog and wish you the best. Hopefully, your book will include the “share the wealth” philosophy you instilled at SAIC that enabled people like me to retire early and pursue my own literary ambitions.
    Donna Cunningham

  53. 53 Gif Munger

    Dr B

    I am really excited about your book and Mary Ann’s efforts with the fondation. The book will be a blessing for all of those trying to get employee ownership right. I was glad to see your picture on a boat. Keep the balance and thanks for all the lessons.

    Gif

  54. 54 Bill Chadsey

    Bob,
    this is terrific. I have missed seeing you– I hope we can get together soon. In the meanwhile I will track the blog. Wow, a book — that will be great.
    Bill

  55. 55 Dave Lester

    Bob,
    It is great to hear about you. SAIC changed my whole career and fostered a great retirement (I have even become a sailing fanatic!). Your book would be most interesting and a great service to industry. I often think of those great early days at 1200 Prospect: challenging projects, rewarding professional relationships, running along the beach, and sharing in the fruits of our labors. I look forward to following your blog.

    Dave

  56. 56 Bob Foster

    Dr. Beyster:
    Great idea! You taught me more about the art of winning than any textbook or so called expert. I would be interested in hearing your’s and others thoughts on Paul Stassmanns observation regarding Google as a new model for entrepreneurial growth.

    Bob

  57. 57 John Cockayne

    Dr. Beyster,

    I believe that I wrote the then DASA contract that funded starting the Washington Operations so I want to thank you for helping John Watson et al. get unique problems solved smoothly! My son still is trying to find your/our recipe for beating the usually poor start up odds because his Stanford students need to learn that YOU usually found a team way to tackle technical AND all other problems. (Foresight was indeed applied well and of course created many copy cat companies.) Do you remember the early days of trying to find a few new exceptional photographs for each annual report?
    I too wish you more good health and exciting activities for your spare time.
    John

  58. 58 Dick Eger

    I couldn’t be more pleased to see Dr. Beyster writing the story (as he sees
    it
    and that I’m sure will means as all of us see it). Between employee
    ownership,
    a diversified and entrepreniurial model, working on projects important to
    the
    country, all of us smarter than any of us thinking, etc., all combined with
    visionary leadership, something worked quite well. Our thanks to Mary Ann
    too
    for making this a reality – this approach is very powerful.

  59. 59 Gerry Brown

    Dr. Beyster,
    I am greatly encouraged by your recovery and certainly wish you the best. I am nearing retirement here at SAIC ~20 years and certainly appreciate your help and inspiration over these years.

    Gerry Brown

  60. 60 Jim Idell

    Bob – So many people from around the company still ask how you’re doing and what you’re up to. They all remember you with affection and respect. The blog is a great way to reconnect with us all. I especially like “hearing” from people I haven’t seen or heard from in years. So far, Vosti’s post is my favorite. I’m sure the blog will provide a torrent of recollections and favorite stories, whether or not they are “suitable” for your book. Your efforts have touched so many thousands of us – Steve Dalich is not the only one who continues to have conversations with you in their mind! I hope you enjoy your weekly posting – think of it as a Weekly Activity Report to us all! All the best.
    Jim

  61. 61 Frank Jenkins

    Dear Bob,

    Al Buckles has been keeping me up to date on your activity and I am delighted to hear you are doing well. The Beyster BLOG is a great idea. I will definitely check in and look forward to seeing where you take it.

    With best wishes and warm regards,

    Frank

  62. 62 Hugh Kendrick

    Bob, I’m very glad to hear you are well again. Joining you at GA was the best career move of my life; coming to SAI was a no-brainer. Like Steve, I frequently connect with SAI people in those dreams. I look fforward eagerly to the book and the blog!
    Best, Hugh

  63. 63 Brett Pollak

    Dr. Beyster,

    What a great first post in your blog. Personal and heartfelt– just as you’ve always been. There is no doubt this will nothing other than a positive experience for you and all that contribute.

    The book sounds like a great idea and I look forward to continually visiting the blog to provide input and see how things are progressing.

    Brett Pollak

  64. 64 Frank Jenkins

    Bob:

    As you embark on this new challenge I expect you will receive quite a number of stories from the past, so let me offer mine.
    i joined in 1982. Actually, I was recruited into the company by Harry Sauerwein. (You remember Harry, I’m sure). In any case, by the time I actually came on board Harry had jumped to MM. So, here I was at SAI without knowing a soul. At that time it was common practice to visit San Diego and even meet with the CEO, which I did. I remember giving you my pitch on why I thought a high tech company could benefit from a studies and analysis shop. (I won’t give you the pitch again). You looked me in the eye and said, well, if you think we can make money at it I’ll help any way I can. With that I was sold on SAIC. Over time (and with a lot of moral and intellectual support from Jim Martin in the early days) we were able to take that idea and build it into a $200M plus business last year–all organic.
    Could I have done that in another company? Not a chance. Could any of us have done what we were able to do without your guidance and your leadership? No way.
    I think you will get a lot of these stories and anyone who thinks it was all done with “pixie dust” wasn’t paying attention.

    All the best,

    Frank J

  65. 65 Al Buckles

    This is a great thing you have created, this blog. Lots of folks have wanted to correspond with you and now they can. The Blue Moon looks great.

    All the folks from Omaha say hello.

    Attended the 75th SAG last week, everyone there was glad to hear that you were up and around and all want you to come back to the SAG.

  66. 66 Bruce Berend

    Bob – I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. I feel very lucky and grateful for the experience and rewards I received from my 20+ years with the company.

    Seeing the image of the “None of us is as smart as all of us” poster near the top of this blog reminded me of how many people you recruited who would mention years later that the message conveyed in that poster had some influence in their decision to come aboard. I remember it too the first time I met you in your office 30 years ago. I also noticed you were wearing white socks and had a Post slide rule out on your work table. No pocket protector – but I still got a comfortable feeling of a down to earth guy who was never going to be pretentious. That impression never changed.

  67. 67 John Leggate

    Hi Dr B….well this is a really interesting adventure! Bill Marlow was good enough to let me know you had this new thing going…”Dr B in the Blogosphere”!!!

    I find the way you had set this out is so readable – and you really set your story out in a most authentic way. Most inspiring.

    When we met earlier this year down at your offices in La Jolla – I was left wondering what you might be up to next…so you have now launched a new career as a Blogger…a very smart move – and up there at the Edge.

    And reading the contributions from others, I sense that many have been inspired by your naturally curious mind, your easy style – and your bold leadership. And I would add – your unstoppable youthful enthusiam for life!

    Thanks for taking the time to get this going – a real inpiration.

    Best wishes

    John

  68. 68 Bob Young

    There were so many wonderful business and life lessons we all learned that should be published though it will be hard to scratch the surface of the sum of the wisdom passed to all of us. I continue to bring simple ideas like employee ownership and “open” quarterly reviews to the companies I am involved with. I also try to bring the less easily grasped ideas like integrity; follow through; and partnering with customers to these same companies. I know many of you are doing the same as “apostles” of the wisdom we all gained from.

    God bless you Dr. Beyster and all of you that continue to support the man and the wisdom.

    Bob Young

  69. 69 keith nightingale

    You made a tremendous difference in my life and I deeply appreciate it. I could not have had a better or more rewarding experience since retiring from the Army and going directly to SAIC. You seemed to have an intuitive understanding as to how to get the best out of myself and others. I only wish a lot of the Leader/managers I encountered before you had a modicum of what you possess.

    There is a lot of “magic sauce” you brought to all of us individually and to the Corporation as a whole-some we can keep, some is irretrievably lost- I hope you can capture some of that in the book.

  70. 70 Mike Mackay

    Dr Beyster

    Your blog is attracting some of the most interesting, active people. With ease.

    The possibilities of just that, are fascinating…

  71. 71 Debora Booth

    Dear Dr. Beyster,

    I never had the priviledge to meet you but I’ve always wanted to thank you personally for growing such an amazing company. I began here at SAIC three years ago. I am so honored to be a part of SAIC. Thank you!

    My best to you,
    Debora

  72. 72 Richard Soll

    Dear Bob,

    It’s wonderful you established this blog so your many disciples, such as I, can catch up with you and stay in touch. I was the first social scientist to join Bill Layson’s nuclear weapons effects group in the 1970s, and never did you ever ask me, as some did, “Now tell me again, what are you doing here?” Your clear vision on how SAI/SAIC could and should serve the national interest by marrying technical and policy expertise inspired me to stay on for all these years. The company has had an impact on US national security far beyond what I envisaged when I joined, but I always had the feeling that you knew from the beginning what could be realized.

    Thanks for providing me the confidence and tools to build a career at SAIC. I hope we can continue to stay in touch.

    My best wishes,

    Richard

  73. 73 Jeanne Orphan

    Hi Bob,
    It makes me happy to know that I can connect with you and so many wonderful memories with the click of a mouse. Hello to Betty.

  74. 74 Alex Tosheff

    Dr. B,

    Having the opportunity to work with you was an intense and rewarding experience to say the least. My adventures at SAIC created a foundation of integrity and a “roll-up-your sleeves and get it done” attitude that has served me well in all areas of life. I wish you the best of luck on this project and I look forward to reading it and this blog – what a treat to be learning from you again!

    Best Wishes,

    Alex

  75. 75 Patrick Rutherford

    Its not bordom that lead you to writing a blog …. its that you still have something to say. I joind SAIC in 1990 and though I moved to Bechtel SAIC a few years ago, I still think of SAIC as “home” and am still interested in your take on matters. Thanks for remembering us out here and always take joy in what you do!

    Pat

  76. 76 Bill Scott

    Bob, at GA I heard, don’t join Beyster, he just wants to build an empire. Well, thanks for letting me be a lieutenant in what became a great employee owned empire. Also thanks for the unique role you allowed me. Working on the most important radiation issues I could find, yet also representing grassroots employee owners even into the board room.

    The first requirement of successful EO may be the full commitment of the leadership. You left no doubt about this. The next requirement should be honest stock flows to those building new business. I’ve heard about many other company’s stock programs, and I think that we did ours the best. Then there is the integrity of not allowing one bad actor to put all our efforts at risk. Our Ethics program became top notch. Finally, on long term issues affecting everyone, you always allowed full participation by many committees so that everyone got to have a say, without worrying consequences of a contrary opinion.

    The heart of our organization was the excellence of our employees. Yet when it came to seeing solutions through many diverse technical issues, you often personally saw the unique opprtunities that opened up for us, and were able to get us going in the right directions. Perhaps the genius of it was that we all felt as if we all did it, and with the ownership, we all shared the benefits.

    Thanks, Bob, I’ll continue to advocate for employee ownership. Lets all of us help Bob see our individual veiws of the SAIC elephant, so his book can reflect our diverse perspectives. Great to read all your posts!

    Bill Scott

  77. 77 Gael Tarleton

    Dr. B – Vic and Jean Orphan just clued me into your blog. Thank you for deciding to write a book about “why SAI/SAIC?” Only you could tell this story…and still figure out how to blend in the stories you’re going to get on this blog! Just seeing all the blog notes reminds me how much SAIC changed my world. And how much SAIC’s entrepreneurs also helped changed the world in return. Wish I could have figured out how you and so many others managed the endless cross-country commuting for literally decades. The SAIC mindset that we all absorbed needs to be replicated in many places. Your blog will be the first one I’ve chosen to monitor. Thanks once again for leading the way. Glad you’re back at the helm of another new realm.

    Gael Tarleton

  78. 78 John Shannon

    Bob,
    It is so good to hear that you are feeling well and doing your best at something that interests you. But I am not surprised because working hard at what you love doing and always trying to do your best at what interests you is what you taught us over the years. Thanks for everything!
    John

  79. 79 Dick Shearer

    Bob: I am delighted to see that you are back to your energetic, interesting self. When you interviewed me – would you believe it was ten years ago? – you gave me an article on the Thermo Electron Corporation, and we discussed their model for a company.
    In today’s New York Times I read that Thermo Electron bought Fisher Scientific yesterday, a company twice its size, for $10.6B: so a small ambitious fish can eat a bigger fish!
    I look forward to reading your book and your blog.
    Sincerely, Dick.

  80. 80 Elisabeth Weller

    Hello Dr. Beyster.

    Good to see you looking well and relaxed. Will follow your blog.

    22 years with SAI (C) made a positive difference in my life. I was fortunate to have had the chance of being part of such an innovative organization. They were happy, challenging years.

    Best regards

    Elisabeth Weller

  81. 81 Debora Booth

    Dr. Beyster, I would love to hear about your thought process that brought to you to the conclusion of beginning an employee-owned company? What particular challenges did you face in order to make it happen? Internally and externally, if you care to share? Thank you! deb

  82. 82 Dave Arbach

    Bob,

    Great idea in creating this blog and wish you the best of luck on the book project. It was really great to say that I had the opportunity to work closely with you and glad to hear you are doing well. We initially met when Telcordia was purchased by SAIC and worked fairly close during the softswitch days. Believe it or not all that knowledge I gained through that experience is coming back to “haunt me” (just kidding) as I am working on a start-up venture in the VOIP space. Again best of luck on the book and keep the blog going!
    Dave

  83. 83 Leon Feinstein

    Bob,

    I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. This is an excellent idea for intellectual stimulation and staying connected to your colleagues and friends. You have had a major impact on the lives of many people. After 22 years at SAIC, I was and am still influenced by your management style and business philosophy.

    I tried an early retirement to spend additional time with my children while in high school, but quickly found that retirement is not suited for all of us. After September 11th, I decided to get involved again. I’ve spent the last two plus years helping the Department of Homeland Security stand up its advanced R&D programs for radiological and nuclear countermeasures. It has been both an exciting and exhausting exercise.

    Best regards,

    Leon Feinstein

  84. 84 Woody Wilson

    Just discovered your blog, Bob,

    Having a great time reading through a thousand memories of my years with the company.

    The “secret sauce” was quite a recipe. A big part of it was the culture that made the world safe for the workaholics we all were.

    Woody

  85. 85 Ted Manakas

    Dr. Beyster, SAIC was a “human interaction laboratory” first and foremost. Yes, it had the greatest minds in science and technology during its employee-owned tenure but, its success as an experiment is, and will continue to be, measured by how we “mixed” together. It was truly the greatest corporate experience of my life. As the saying goes, “No one can whistle a symphony, it takes an orchestra to play it”.

  86. 86 Joseph Swiderski

    Hello Bob, Dont know if you you remember my visits to your Cave Street office and the Tactical Data Links area I managed for you at SAIC. I was pleased to see your blog and all the comments from the alumni. Since I left in 2003, the company that I and two other former employees started has flurished into a $10M company with offices in CA, VA, and SC with plans to be at $20M within 2 years. Much of the success we are enjoying and the methods we implement, is a tribute directly to you and our expereinces at SAIC (20 years for me). I wish you all the best and would love to buy you lunch one day. Warmest Regards, Joe Swiderski, CEO, Systems Technology Forum Ltd

  87. 87 Larry Angell

    Bob,

    I heard about your book and blog, and am very interested in both. About 12 years ago, I started work on a PhD at Geo Washington University, and planned to write my dissertation on SAIC–why was it successful, was it the result of a carefully crafted approach or incredible luck and hard work while adjusting on the fly, and most importantly, could it be captured as a model for high tech organization and management–Theory H,I M, O or whatever was next on the Management Theory chain. When I got to that point, I was going to request a face-to-face interview with you. Unfortunately, I developed cancer, put things aside, and never got to that point. I hope that your book will address some of these issues, and I look forward to reading it.

    I’m now retired, and tell everyone that what I am, and how I got here, was due to you. You may not remember me, but you have probably had more influence on me than anyone other than my Father. My best to you, and thanks for all you did for SAIC, the employees, and myself.

    Warmest Regards,

    Larry Angell

  88. 88 Corey Rosen

    Dr. Beyster:

    I wonder if you could comment on the status of employee ownership at SAIC right now. How has going public affected that? Historically, employee ownership cultures have not survived going public, with a few exceptions. I would be veryu interested in your thoughts. Thanks.

  89. 89 Dr. Beyster

    Corey: As you know, I’m no longer at SAIC, nor am I on the board, so my information is limited. I do have lots of friends at SAIC, so I know what’s going on. It’s true there have been some changes in the company, but existing employees and others still own 70-80 percent of SAIC. I think the existing management takes pride in the fact that SAIC is so strongly employee owned. So, there have been some changes as you might expect in the way the company operates, and I for one hope for the best. — Bob

  90. 90 N. Barnett

    Dr. Beyster,

    I am an engineering student doing research for a speech on employee-owned businesses. This is to be a persuasive speech given to my speech class. I hope to satisfy the persuasive requirement by presenting employee ownership as a viable alternative to other forms of ownership. I selected this topic because I have always wanted to know more about employee owned businesses. I found your blog (honestly, I’m not really sure what a blog is) and hope that I am not being disrespectful by attempting to contact someone of your caliber for such a selfish reason (furthering my own knowledge). I hope to read your book and I’m sure that will help to further my knowledge. The main question I have is, what happens to employees in an employee-owned company when the company is sold to another company? This seems to happen frequently. Any information you can share would be appreciated very much. Thank you for your time.

    Respectfully,

    N. Barnett

  91. 91 Dr. Beyster

    Thank you for your submission to my blog – there’s no problem with me about doing that. It doesn’t show me any lack of respect, it shows me you’re an attentive person. And you must have common sense because you chose employee ownership to learn about. It truly is a wonderful thing. What impresses me is your learning about it on your own. What happens when an employee-owned company is sold depends on a number of factors. If it is sold to the public, like SAIC was, then employees can sell their stock according to SEC rules. If it doesn’t go public, and the company wants to remain employee owned, then there are a number of ways to accomplish this. This is the approach I would recommend unless you are planning to build a product company. In any case, there are a number of organizations to help you with your research, including The Beyster Institute at UCSD, NCEO, the business schools at Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, and others. – Bob

  92. 92 RM

    Remember Bellcore? With Telcordia, was the beginning of its end.

  1. 1 J. Robert Beyster, Scientist and Entrepreneur, Is Dead at 90 - Bain Daily

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