Back From Silicon Valley 2

It's been over a year since I last visited Silicon Valley, and this recent trip has brought a wealth of new insights and reflections that I'm eager to share. This journey has offered fresh perspectives on topics ranging from the accelerating pace of globalization and Stanford's unique spirit of freedom, to the fundamental importance of robust systems, and the ubiquitous "move fast" culture that defines Silicon Valley.

For readers, it might be beneficial to first review last year's "Back from Silicon Valley 1" (originally published on UA889). While the two articles aren't directly linked by a continuous narrative, revisiting the first piece will provide a more systematic and profound understanding of these ongoing musings and observations.

Globalization in Action: The Uber Phenomenon

Before our arrival in Silicon Valley this time, the news of Uber's astounding growth had already captivated everyone. At just four years old, Uber had raised an incredible $1.2 billion, pushing its valuation to a staggering $18.7 billion. Naturally, our first priority upon landing was to visit Uber, enjoy a complimentary lunch, and experience the company's "charm" firsthand. We pondered what compelled the "smartest" investors to trade such a massive sum for less than 10% of its shares.

After the visit, a profound realization struck me: Peer-to-peer (P2P) is not just a trend; it's a groundbreaking revolution driven by the internet. Uber brilliantly connects drivers and riders across the globe, facilitating instant interaction and secure transactions. This creates a powerful positive feedback loop: more drivers attract more riders, and vice versa. Once the numbers reach a critical threshold, the internet's transformative power of "quantitative change leading to qualitative change" takes over. The traditional model of drivers simply transporting passengers could evolve into drivers delivering anything from the physical world — be it ice cream, flowers, pets, suits, coffee, or fresh fruit.

However, the real challenge in Silicon Valley isn't the idea itself; ideas are plentiful here. The true test lies in gathering a group of geniuses and uniting them around a common dream. The Bay Area boasts the world's top engineers and product managers, yet countless companies fiercely compete for these rare talents. Walking through Uber's headquarters, seeing "ears" of all skin colors – truly dedicated geeks – it became evident that Uber had successfully navigated this talent war. Their latest massive funding round only amplifies their arsenal.

These brilliant minds are orchestrating a global revolution in transportation and logistics, with a key emphasis on global. Uber already operates in 125 cities across 37 countries, with more expansion on the horizon. Their large screen, displaying a map with countless moving cars, symbolizes their significant "assets" deployed worldwide — a feat unimaginable in the industrial era of the past.

Thus, in Silicon Valley, your small idea isn't just about changing the Bay Area, San Francisco, or even just the U.S. Here, you're initiating a "global movement," genuinely changing the world.

Let the Winds of Freedom Blow: The Stanford Spirit

The emotionally moving motto from Stanford University, "Let the Winds of Freedom Blow," resonated deeply. Had I encountered it 20 years ago, it might have inspired me to pursue Stanford in my college entrance exams, though back then, I admit I lacked confidence and ambition often outstripped action.

Donald Kennedy, Stanford's eighth president, articulated another powerful sentiment: "The university must allow those with exceptional creativity to lead exceptionally creative lives." This statement, too, moved me. It's no surprise that over 5,000 companies in Silicon Valley trace their roots back to Stanford, benefiting immensely from its culture of nurturing creative thinking and its pragmatic spirit of "integrating knowledge with action."

The university's origins are equally inspiring. In 1884, after the tragic death of his only child, U.S. Senator and railroad magnate Leland Stanford, alongside his wife, vowed to found a university for all children of California. After a decade of tireless work and immense personal expenditure, the university was established on their sprawling 35-square-kilometer farm. The famous garage startup culture was born in 1935 when Stanford electronic engineering graduates Bill Hewlett and David Packard, guided by their mentor and "Father of Silicon Valley" Professor Terman, founded HP in a Palo Alto garage.

Over the next half-century, this fertile ground gave rise to numerous IT and internet giants, including:

• Intel
• AMD
• Apple
• Cisco
• Oracle
• SUN
• Yahoo
• Google
• eBay
• Facebook
• Uber

Stanford alone offers over 20 entrepreneurship-related courses, with over 95% of students taking at least one. Among the most popular is LaunchPad, led by IDEO founder David Kelly at the Stanford Design School, where students transform an idea into a marketable product in just 10 weeks. Successful ventures like Pulse News, which raised over $10 million, originated from this very course.

We also visited StartX, Stanford's non-profit incubator, which has provided funding to over 1,000 companies and 2,400 Stanford students, with an average investment of $1.5 million per venture. One of our peers had just secured investment from Google Ventures, and Boosted Board, the electric skateboard company we later visited, is also a StartX graduate. Their innovative product instantly made me want to learn skateboarding, with plans to acquire an electric one once proficient.

Running each morning at Stanford, I soaked in the tranquility and intellectual atmosphere of Silicon Valley's birthplace. Surrounded by a diverse mix of people on skateboards, bikes, runners, or those using the latest "elliptical machine" bikes, it was a pure delight. The century-old motto, "Let the Winds of Freedom Blow," echoed, powerfully highlighting the profound connection between societal progress, technological development, and the underlying educational philosophy and systems.

Stanford's exceptional system and philosophy attract the world's brightest minds, who generously give back after achieving success. Despite admitting only 10,000 new students annually, Stanford provides over $70 million in financial aid, offering free tuition to students from families earning less than $100,000 and granting scholarships to 77% of its students.

A heavenly institution I missed this lifetime, but in the next, I must apply!

Winning with Systems: Beyond Talent

Whether it's a school, a company, a city, or society as a whole, healthy development fundamentally relies on excellent systems. Systems must evolve; outdated ones can stifle progress, while overly advanced ones may introduce instability or chaos. A fitting and excellent system is paramount for education, enterprise, and societal advancement.

Some argue that talent is the sole key, but a deeper look reveals that talent cultivation requires educational institutions to offer outstanding education systems. Similarly, talent attraction demands businesses to provide exceptional corporate systems, encompassing rewards, development, growth opportunities, and employee wellness. Without excellent systems, truly outstanding talent simply cannot flourish.

Beyond Stanford's globally recognized educational philosophy and system, every Silicon Valley company we visited demonstrated an advanced and continuously evolving corporate system.

We're all familiar with the routine: visiting friends at Google, Facebook, Uber, and other tech giants often includes a free lunch. A local entrepreneur shared an amusing anecdote: for the first three months of their startup, they ate for free at Google because one co-founder hadn't officially quit, allowing them to conveniently "sneak" into the company for meals – a minor detail for Google. This open culture of free meals and visits stands in stark contrast to traditional IT companies like Cisco, Oracle, or HP. At Huawei, where I once worked, bringing guests for a visit was far from simple, fraught with procedural and management restrictions, and meals were certainly not complimentary.

Upon entering these companies, one discovers exceptionally comfortable and healthy working environments. Engineers, much like myself, favor standing desks with mats; others prefer lounging on sofas, explaining the abundance of comfy couches at Google and Facebook. Everyone has multiple large screens, fully embracing their inner geek. Work appears casual, characterized by flat management structures and results-oriented evaluations. At Google, employees are famously allowed to spend 20% of their time on personal projects.

Who could say no to companies offering:

• Competitive salaries and stock options
• The chance to be part of changing the world
• Flexible, results-oriented assessment
• Freedom to choose work based on interests
• Fun and comfortable office spaces
• Free food and entertainment
• A healthy and sustainable work environment
• Even pet-friendly policies!

As an aside, during our Facebook visit, we saw Mark Zuckerberg and a colleague walking and talking post-lunch, seemingly engaged in a deep discussion – a common work habit for Zuckerberg, reminiscent of Steve Jobs' preferred method of problem-solving. For Facebook employees, there's no rigid hierarchical system or unapproachable bosses, fostering an environment where genius and creativity naturally thrive.

Moving Fast: The Silicon Valley Ethos

During our visit to Facebook, we connected to a free Wi-Fi network named "Facebook Guest" with the password m0vefast. Our host explained that "Move fast" is a core tenet of Facebook's work culture. Just like the ubiquitous "Hacker" signs adorning the campus, it embodies the work ethic of Facebook's hackers.

Silicon Valley, contrary to some perceptions, maintains an intense work pace. People here understand how to enjoy life and work with exceptional efficiency. Weekends are dedicated to family and appreciating the beautiful surrounding landscapes, with cyclists and runners visible everywhere. Even on the highways, it's common to see bikes strapped to cars, and these aren't cheap bikes — often costing over $1000, reflecting a culture that highly values cycling as a sport. When it comes to work, Silicon Valley denizens embrace a "fast-paced" attitude where time is life — and money. At an F50 pitch event, an investor starkly emphasized time management, stating she wouldn't meet with entrepreneurs without prior preparation and a convincing business plan, her schedule packed tightly.

Scheduling meetings with local investors and entrepreneurs requires meticulous advance planning. Due to my unfamiliarity with local traffic, I once scheduled meetings inefficiently across different parts of the Valley. This proved unadjustable later due to everyone's packed schedules, creating a domino effect of conflicts.

On Bay Area highways, everyone drives fast. On my first visit to the U.S., I received a speeding ticket for driving 90 mph due to my ignorance of local traffic laws. Since then, I've never dared to speed again. However, you can't drive too slowly either. On roads with a 70 mph speed limit, most vehicles cruise at 80 mph. Drive at the limit, and you'll be passed one after another. It's an interesting dynamic — you can't be too fast or too slow; maintaining a speed of 75 to 80 mph is necessary just to keep up with the pace here.

"Move fast" also carries a deeper, implied meaning here. Internet companies in the Valley champion a "lean culture," much like the Lean Startup methodology. They are incredibly careful and deliberate about every new hire, expecting each individual to be capable and self-sufficient. Silicon Valley companies believe in the multiplier effect of excellent talent and go to extraordinary lengths to attract the best. Google, for instance, famously posted a complex math problem on a billboard along the highway to pique the interest of curious minds, encouraging those who could solve it to submit their resumes. These genius engineers thrive on solving problems, and moving fast is part of their very DNA — they think quickly, speak quickly, code quickly, and naturally, release products quickly.

Therefore, "Move fast" isn't merely Facebook's motto; it embodies the spirit of Silicon Valley as a whole.

Greatness by the Ordinary

Near the main entrance of Stanford, in a serene garden, stands a group of authentic Auguste Rodin statues without any protective barriers – Stanford holds the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of France. The description accompanying these statues carries a profound message:

"Even the greatest of undertakings can be done by the ordinary person."

This statement serves as the best possible motivation for ordinary individuals like us. I firmly believe that the great men and women who have achieved miracles today, when traced back to their origins, were once unremarkable, ordinary people. We are born equal; it is the efforts and perseverance we apply later in life that lead to different life experiences and the realization of our unique values.

Many entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley did not embark on their ventures for material enjoyment or the pursuit of wealth; they were driven, more often, by a simple dream. Some dreams may not initially reflect profound social value, but with the support and encouragement of a mature venture capital industry, these humble dreams slowly transform into commercial missions that begin to change the world. Like black holes, they attract excellent talents to collaborate, and every individual's small dream collectively contributes to a grander ideal. In Silicon Valley, there appears to be a magic that gathers these elites in garages or incubators, where they compose the symphony of life on their keyboards. They may be ordinary programmers in the present moment, but with persistent pursuit and unwavering perseverance, in the not-too-distant future, these ordinary individuals may create new miracles across numerous scientific fields and engrave their extraordinary names in the annals of business transformation.