Dell’s revolutionary insights helped to turn the traditional PCs sales model on its head. With a mantra of “faster, better, cheaper” and by offering direct-sale, built-to-order customized machines, he disrupted the PC industry by avoiding retail sites, high-touch sales, and by minimizing inventory and depreciation costs. This just-in-time, low-cost production model took his company from college dorm room in 1984 to a $300 million business in just five years. Dell’s formula became known as the “direct business model.” He went on to pioneer virtual integration, a model that substitutes ownerships for partnerships by integrating suppliers through IT for tighter supply-chain collaboration, thereby meeting customer needs faster and more efficiently. Over the years, Dell methodically his company from a computer hardware manufacturer to an infrastructure solutions provider with significant positions in multi-cloud, software, and IT services.