Return of Silicon Valley 7 share: entrepreneur, be yourself

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You only live once, have rules and obey to be efficient, believe in the power of trust.

Wang Lijie

Every year since I was a preangel, I have been taking time to go to the United States one or two times, mainly in the Silicon Valley (Bay Area) to meet the local friends, they are mainly VC, entrepreneur, Stanford and Berkeley Student Entrepreneurship Organization, wireless technology in the field of various organizations in charge of the organization, I have been trying to understand the world's most High-tech listed companies in the most densely populated areas, what is the special place, what we can learn from, let us return to the "country" can also look different, and also want to know, we these "hillbilly", Is there a chance to find a foothold in the most intelligent people in the world and invest in a few great companies like Google and Facebook in the future?

The more I come, the deeper I feel, though it's just fur, the feeling that Silicon Valley brings to me is very deep, and here I share with you:

1. You live Once.

My Preangel, an American investment partner named Boyd, a native San Francisco man who spoke fluent Chinese, told me that the recent YOLO of the Bay area was all about a Live Once, which literally meant a simple, profound implication. If we pay enough attention to this phrase from the day we have the ability to think independently, maybe each of us will have a different day. Most of the pillars of China's economy today are in some ways living for others, for their parents, for their children, for their friends. Sometimes, it seems that you choose your life, in fact, you live in others for you to shape the image, if you are not satisfied with your life today, it is probably you do not live for yourself! In fact, you live well, is the greatest contribution to society, because everyone is unique, have different abilities and preferences, If the whole society is in accordance with their own hearts and live, we each post will be done, and do better!

This is a recent fad, but it is a summary of a common ideology in the Bay Area, which means that many American elite children have already done so, at least sooner than our children in the country realize the "live for themselves" principle. and society as a whole has given support to this ideology, such as dropping out of business in China, the least understood by parents, for example, give up a high salary backpack poor tour, such as with a complete "not equal" people marry, such as I in a broken apartment to do a "bitter" artist, there are so many girls choose to do single mother ... When a person chooses to live for himself, Ta often has a more lasting perseverance, or the so-called entrepreneur most need "obsession."

YOLO, in one way or another, explains why there are some of the world's highest-density entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.

2. Rules & Disruptive-rule and destruction

People who drive in the United States know that everyone in the road are very rules, driving efficiency is very high! For example, Li June, a famous Chinese angel investor in Silicon Valley, said that once again he was driving in a country on a business trip to the Bay Area, and he found that every intersection, even the green light, the brothers would brake with one foot, Then he asked curiously why? The man replied, "I'm afraid there's a car on both sides."

People who have never been to the United States may be curious, it's normal, what's strange. But you know, driving a car in America, when you go straight, if there is no stop Sign and red light, you dare to open, the two sides will not have a car to wear out, because the road on either side of the road will be a red light, or there will be stop Sign, while the Americans drive to see the stop Sign sure to stop to look at the left and then go, even if there is no stop Sign, turning the car must let straight line of the car, so will drive very slowly left look right. So the straight car can be boldly opened!

You see, a good rule design, so that everyone's driving efficiency, as long as we all abide by, everyone profits! In the entrepreneurial world, you can understand that in a good framework of the rules of innovation, you will be more effective, you do not have to worry about someone "plotting".

This is the destructive innovation of health: the process of subverting an enterprising old industry (enterprise) through innovation in technology, design, operation, or business model, based on the basic rules that we all share. Disruptive innovation undermines the outdated system and enterprising enterprise, belonging to the category of the fittest, is a benign metabolism!

We currently see too many "unhealthy" business cases at home, some of these cases can be interpreted as "breaking the Rules", which means that the development of the enterprise affects the health of the entire industry, and even the interests of most consumers, and these unruly entrepreneurs are " From both sides of the road directly out of the driver ", on the one hand they rushed out is likely to be a straight line of vehicles hit, and lose; On the other hand, they have a wide range of drivers to go straight to the crossing to bring a foot brake, the entire traffic efficiency is affected.

This is the other side of the difference between us, the root cause may be "The purpose of entrepreneurship" is different, while in order to "make money" and "speculation", so regardless of the environment, the industry, consumers, the "destruction" of the community, while more for the "ideal" and entrepreneurial. Or it can be said that the Bay area of entrepreneurs to grow and live in the environment that they have formed a habit of thinking, will not easily "destroy the rules that we all abide by", this side of the "breaking rules" costs very high.

This time, I was invited by Ding Jooyu to share some of the students at Stanford Business School, I know they've heard too many big talk, and I don't know what to share, so I've shared my latest 5-point refining of entrepreneurial beliefs, and Boyd said that the 5 points I've shared mean "I belong in Silicon Valley." Follows：

3, believe the power of belief-believe in "The strength of trust"

It's about the purpose of your business, if you live for yourself, entrepreneurship for the sake of the ideal, then you will "firmly believe" your career, firmly believe that you see the future, this "firmly believe" itself is a powerful, very powerful, this force can help you build a team, prepare funds, build products, marketing brands, Sales service ... Your entrepreneurial path may be thorny, but you will still be as, indomitable.

Many entrepreneurs do not notice that "faith in their ideals" is a source of strength, you think your pie attracts the team, you think your future listing plan attracts investors, you think your slick is attracting customers, you think it's your smooth sailing that attracts media coverage ... You are wrong, if not "the Power of Faith", your cake, your vision, your glib, will disappear in time and again in the market waves.

In Escape's entrepreneurial process, the only one that can give you inexhaustible energy, only your "faith", without him! So, give up what can not give up faith! If you don't believe what you're doing, why do you make people believe it? Looking back, the root cause of many failed companies was that the founders gave up their original beliefs, Then everything around Ta around the wind died!

4, you were chosen-you are "selected"

Although I am an atheist, I believe in aliens, or higher intelligent creatures, but that is not the Jade Emperor, Allah, Jesus or other religious figures that we understand.

Each of us is born different, so like my first mention of you Live Once, tell us, be yourself! everyone is this way is "chosen", our life is the process of countless choices, every day seems to do a different choice, in fact, we are " Being chosen to make this choice is "your mission" whatever we choose. So why not do something we like from the bottom of our hearts, and be good at doing it? Why are you good at music, why am I good at socializing, and why is he good at management?

If this is all arranged, then the most important to obey the heart, only to do what you like best and best, you can be the happiest, and at the same time, the world will be more efficient operation, as long as you choose the most suitable for you, then it means destined to do so. Do not blame your heart for the so-called "God" is not fair, you are your own "God", because your purpose is your heart "God" will.

So, back to that sentence, you are only live once, so is yourself, be your own god!

5, valuation vs price-values and prices

If your heart tells you, you like to open a small bar at the seaside, carefree everyday. OK, no problem!

If your heart tells you, you want to do a career of eternal fame, to make the world a better place. OK, that's your mission, and then you're going to do everything you can to accomplish your mission. You will succeed!

Here, we can raise the question of value and price. If you want to accomplish a great mission, then you can say that it is priceless (priceless), if you need to find investors to finance this mission, how do you price yourself?

If you think you have no price, then you are financing at a sky-high valuation, so it's not natural. I think your priceless is in the project really realized after the embodiment, no one can guarantee your success, so the initial valuation should not be too concerned about "price", but determined to get smart money, the so-called smart money can be understood to share with you vision, and can provide valuable money outside the resources to help investors. Too much of the "price" of entrepreneurs and investors may not be all the way, if you start in the valuation issue is more divided, we suggest that both sides should not tangle, directly to each other pass.

The value of the Start-up Angel financing phase in Silicon Valley is cheaper compared to Beijing, but when it comes to the a round, its valuation will soar because of the product and certain data. Value is highlighted, the valuation is not a problem, so you can refer to the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, early do not care about valuations, with the angel of smart money to make the ideal product, and then naturally there will be a market for you reasonable "valuation."

6, enough is not enough-"enough" is far from enough

This is my highly respected geek spirit, the so-called geek, in my opinion is in a subdivision of the pursuit of extreme to the degree of metamorphosis of people, geeks are not limited to the technical field.

Since the culture of the United States and the culture of the Bay Area is a "culture of encouragement", children get a little achievement will be "amazing" and other parties praise, encourage children to do better, so no matter is the technical field, Art field, Product field, marketing field, there will be many geeks. In particular, we mention the Internet and mobile Internet entrepreneurship areas, these geeks have made countless world-wide popular innovative products, countless!

It is a time of intense business development and market competition, most of the people's needs have been met, and new entrepreneurs are either looking for opportunities to subvert old industries with powerful core technologies, or to find new demand for new products in emerging markets (such as the iphone's peripheral accessories needs). However, whatever you do, to achieve a great enterprise, we all need a geek leader to be responsible for the product, just like Steve Jobs's pursuit of perfection to the level of metamorphosis.

The geek first is always a little farther than the average person can see, after all, TA experience and tried the related products more than the ordinary people, otherwise, it can not be called a geek; second, the Geek is responsible for their own products than the market 10 times times higher requirements, so generally will not easily release products, but each release will bring users "stunning" Or "shocked" feeling, must be able to maximize the goal of customer loyalty; Finally, the geeks bring products are usually the greatest degree by a variety of media to report, so save the marketing costs, do not fear the Deep alley wine!

In Silicon Valley, even companies such as Evernote and Tesla have almost died, and their most extreme ideas have led companies to the brink of bankruptcy, as well as the power of their powerful faith to help them through the crisis at the most critical juncture, culminating in the world's finest companies!

If a company's leader is a geek in a field, I would be very happy to invest in TA, do my best to help him solve what he is not good at, let him focus on the launch of a world of stunning products; If a company's leader always feel "almost done", better than the market 50% is very good, Then he might be a good businessman and might build a profitable company, but he won't create the next Facebook, the next Tesla, the next Google ...

7, Imagination & Execution-Imagination and executive power

Since the "Avatar" was released in the country, IMAX or IMAX+3D film has become a must see, the recent Tom of "Mission 4" and "Left Behind the war", "Star Trek 2", "Iron Man 3" and so on, to bring us "immersive" viewing experience, From the cinema out of all exclamation of science and technology to life's great changes, but also lamented the imagination and executive power of Hollywood.

At the same time, we can not help but ask ourselves why these blockbusters are Hollywood, why China does not? Is it an education decision? Because we always think that the Chinese are the smartest, but the Chinese film is not as beautiful as the old, is it environmental decision? Because Hollywood is leading the film industry for 50 years at least, so there is precipitation; Is it the money? ? Because Hollywood's film production costs hundreds of millions of dollars!

In fact, in the field of Internet entrepreneurship, we often lament that many Silicon Valley companies are more than we have the imagination, such as my favorite ifttt, as well as airbnb,zipcar,twitter,pinterest, Google Glass,siri ...

This time I'm chatting with a bunch of Stanford, UCLA and Berkeley students who are starting out in Silicon Valley, and they have an interesting point. They think that there are so many good companies in Silicon Valley, first of all, because Silicon Valley has a large number of start-up companies, the huge base will naturally run out of several excellent, relatively speaking, the number of small companies are actually dead, but we do not know. Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial environment has stimulated more and more people to join the entrepreneurial wave, in their words called "mixed", "a variety of"; indeed, I also exchanged a three-month venture from Italy to Silicon Valley, where the Internet geek is the Gold digger.

However, this also gives us an inspiration, the Bay Area has the current world's best entrepreneurial environment, so also attracts the most entrepreneurs, in a highly competitive market environment, those who can stand out from the world is the focus of attention, valuation all the way to the sky!

Finally, share a small story of Silicon Valley that has not been reported in the media:

A local Chinese VC communicates with me, said she came to Silicon Valley. Soon after she met a very clever young entrepreneur through a friend, the technology is very strong, the thing to do is very cool, unfortunately or early stage, she intends to follow up the next round; then she returned two months and returned to Silicon Valley again, I heard people say Facebook bought this company, 100 million dollars! She and the founder after the implementation of the feeling that the Silicon Valley is really an incredible place, if you have two brushes, really have a lot of giants for their own strategic objectives and a "potential in the" sky-high price!

P.S. This article is written in the UA857 flight from San Francisco to Shanghai, through the UA cabin WiFi and aircraft satellite communication network issued, so I paid only 22 dollars "Sky Internet fee", cool:-)