Ibuka and Morita — A "Delightful Ideal Factory" in the Ashes

Tokyo, 1946, amid the ruins: a small company was born in a corner of a department store — Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, later Sony. Engineer Masaru Ibuka and sales genius Akio Morita wrote into their founding prospectus the goal of "a free, open-minded, and pleasant ideal factory" where earnest engineers could exercise their skills to the fullest.

In a defeated nation without goods or money, their first banner was not a sales target but joyful work. That little company sold transistor radios to the world and flipped "Made in Japan" from cheap to excellent; Morita even moved his family to America to fight for the global market.

What I learn from them is the power of the pair: one need not own both wings. When two people carrying each other's missing wing join, the company flies. Do you have such a partner?

What do you work for?