Raymond S. Stata

Chairman and co-founder, Analog Devices

Raymond S. Stata, cofounder of Analog Devices, recounts his entrepreneurial journey from MIT graduate to building a multi-billion dollar semiconductor company, sharing the principles and values that guided his success. He emphasizes innovation, calculated risk-taking, empowering talented people, learning from failure, and building trustful relationships. He urges graduates to pursue work they are passionate about, stay involved with MIT, and apply their skills to solve societal problems in a world facing crisis and transition.

“You can't play it safe and win.”

On taking risks Official transcript ->

Key moments

01 Founding Analog Devices and pursuing 'Market Leadership through Technical Innovation'
02 Personally funding an integrated-circuit startup over the board's objections to avoid the S-curve
03 Learning from failures like Analog Devices Enterprises by reflecting on mistakes
04 Charging graduates not to play it safe and to be part of the solution to global challenges

Save the visual map

Download or open the generated poster as a standalone PNG.

Download poster Open full-size PNG

Raymond S. Stata at MIT, 2010

A commencement address about entrepreneurship, technical innovation, calculated risk, empowering people, learning from failure, and giving back to MIT.

Speech arc

01MIT graduate
Opening move
02Analog Devices
Speech beat
03Technical innovation
Speech beat
04S-curve risk
Speech beat
05Empowered teams
Speech beat
06Failure review
Speech beat
07Trust
Speech beat
08Give back
Final charge

Origin: A company grows from technical conviction

Stata recounts building Analog Devices around market leadership through technical innovation, connecting MIT training to entrepreneurial execution.

Founder

The MIT-to-company path turns engineering judgment into an institution.

Innovation

Technical advantage is treated as strategy, not decoration.

Market

Leadership follows when invention solves real customer problems.

Stata recounts building Analog Devices around market leadership through technical innovation, connecting MIT training to entrepreneurial execution.

Risk: Calculated bets prevent comfortable decline

The integrated-circuit story shows a leader funding a risky move to escape the limits of an old curve before consensus arrives.

S-curve

Successful products eventually flatten; renewal requires discomfort.

Bet

Personal commitment can keep a needed experiment alive.

Timing

The right risk is often visible before it is broadly approved.

The integrated-circuit story shows a leader funding a risky move to escape the limits of an old curve before consensus arrives.

Management: Talent works best inside trust

Stata emphasizes empowering skilled people, building dependable relationships, and treating leadership as the design of conditions for others to succeed.

People

Hire strong talent, then give it room to operate.

Trust

Durable relationships reduce friction and increase speed.

Values

Culture decides whether innovation can compound.

Stata emphasizes empowering skilled people, building dependable relationships, and treating leadership as the design of conditions for others to succeed.

• Key takeaways •