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Potentially being the few Executive MBAs on any LBS trek was a potentially daunting activity, but presented a great opportunity to connect to other entrepreneurs, VCs, managers and alumni that would never be otherwise possible – at least not in this timeframe. The weather was not accommodating either: the previous day was coloured with torrential rain and a tornado warning. I had brought the weather with me to sunny California.
I stared at the busy schedule. It revealed much about the types of companies and what the week has in store: entrepreneurship, hard choices and the Valley’s history of successes. But what I did not realise, was that I learned more about the nature of opportunities, unpredictable milestones and cycle of failures and successes.
The trek group and I heard that: no matter what your industry or technology is people matters most: especially in “moments of truth”; Most people in the Valley are actually not from the Valley, which means that a very specific culture exists; One serial entrepreneur loves it, because the culture has had a 70 year head start and it embraces learning from failure; Recently capital injected companies can be utterly ambitious with their global conquering expansion programme by directly tackling incumbent companies; The unbelievable strength of active-inertia preventing incumbent companies to embrace the new Internet economy; New consumer Internet companies have a love-hate relationship with PR firms, and; How important it is for you to develop the right elements in the ecosystem of technology companies (some might be your own competition).
As I get on the flight back after a hectic week, I feel like I have been infected with the Valley spirit. No matter what the adversities are, I know that with determination and great people at your side, you will get somewhere and even if you fail, try again – it’s the only way.
As the clouds parted over the San Francisco Airport and the sun came out, the weather seemed to agree.
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