Shockley Semiconductor looked like an ideal startup. It was well funded, its founder was widely respected in the physics community, and its product had growing demand. Shockley had his pick of the smartest graduates in physics and chemistry. His pitch became even more convincing when, soon after starting the company, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Brattain and Bardeen. But while Shockley excelled as a theorist, he had serious deficiencies as a manager.
