Robert Noyce

Robert Noyce co-invented the integrated circuit (microchip) in 1959 and co-founded both Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel — making him arguably the single most important person in the creation of Silicon Valley. He was called 'the Mayor of Silicon Valley' because of his role in building the companies, culture, and ethos that define the tech industry.

Noyce's integrated circuit — developed independently and simultaneously with Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments — was the breakthrough that made modern computing possible. By putting multiple transistors on a single silicon chip, the integrated circuit eliminated the need for hand-wired connections and enabled the miniaturization that led to personal computers, smartphones, and every other digital device.

At Fairchild Semiconductor, Noyce created the management culture that became Silicon Valley's DNA: flat hierarchies, stock options for employees, casual dress codes, and an emphasis on innovation over bureaucracy. When he and Gordon Moore left Fairchild to found Intel in 1968, they brought that culture with them. Noyce died of a heart attack in 1990 at age 62 — before he could see the full impact of the internet and mobile revolutions his inventions made possible.