And why it’s so hard to duplicate

The secret sauce …

• Top universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley, etc)

•Government research centers and commercial labs

•A large pool of highly educated workers

•Access to plentiful venture capital Beautiful climate and natural surrounding

• Exceptional quality of life

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What do you want to do?

I want to change the world.

Dave Hitz, Founder & Chief Strategist, NetApp

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The meaning of ‘failure’

• “Ever Tried? Ever failed?

No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

- Samuel Beckett

• ‘Failure’ is synonymous with ‘experience’.

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If you think you’re smart, think again!

• Smartness has many flavors, many faces, and many incarnations

• Smart people, with big egos, collaborate for success

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The power of innovation,the magic of imagination• Innovation as a strategy and corporate policy

• The only thing more powerful than knowledge is imagination.

- Albert Einstein

• “The future is a canvas of our imagination.”

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Vital role of visionaries

The grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital. The man with the golden gut.

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Don Valentine, Founder, Sequoia Capital

I am a bearer of the torch.

Change happens “at the speed of light”

You only have to be right once to make it all worthwhile.

Andy Grove, former CEO, Intel

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Be inspired, relentlessly pursue your dream

The only true failure is failing to pursue

your dreams.

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Risk-taking culture – Nothing is impossible

We are at war with our competition. We’re gonna win or lose big.

Larry Ellison, Founder, Oracle

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The spirit of philanthropy

It’s not all about money.

Pierre Omidyar, Founder, eBay

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Age-old, time-tested business philosophy

Base your strategy on things that won’t change. Selling lipsticks, tractor seats, e-book readers, and data-storage is all part of one big plan with 3 constants: offer wider selection,

lower prices, and fast, reliable delivery.

Steve Bezos, Founder, Amazon.com

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Uncompromising leadership

Lead, follow, or get the f**k out of the way.

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Dan Warmenhoven, former CEO, NetApp

Solid core values

•Freedom of expression, thought, and enquiry

•Open communication, no reservations, no hidden agendas

•Accept responsibility for your mistakes, say I’m sorry, and move on

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Last word …

•Ability to renew/re-invent

•Ability to build viable businesses around ideas• It takes a prophet to make a profit

• The world is flat: Silicon Valley is the microcosm of the future

• Think Globally,

•Act Universally!

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