Take-away from Silicon Valley Comes to UK

"Brave" is not how you feel about yourself, it's about what you have done and people feel about you. -Sarah, ex-employer from General Magic, California.

I randomly walked up to a middle-aged lady and had a chat with her, turned out to be she was once a student in the MIT Media Lab, and now the Vice President of Google HQ in California.

She mentioned to me about a tradition in Canada engineering school. An engineering graduate is given an iron ring. The ring is set to be a reminder to fellow young engineers, while embarking on a journey of becoming a professional engineer, always adhere by the morals and ethics of practices.

I always find this interesting. Random chat, random encounter, random facts, and when all these are mashed up together, they ignite random inspirations.

The whole event is set in a very dynamic tempo, as a student who is just starting to explore the world of entrepreneurship, this is really an eye-opener. You have venture capitalists talking about investing ideas with ambitious forecast; you also have entrepreneurs seeking for advices from the Silicon Valley chaps; angel investors who have funded more than 100 new start-ups.

A CEO of a start-up sat beside me. So, after a round of background checking, (where do you study, what course, when are you graduating etc), he started asking question.

#Conversation 1
Him: Any ideas want to start up what kinda business?
Me: Nothing in particular. Still finding inspiration
Him: What if I give you GBP 1mil, and a lab for you to do what you want. What kinda product you can give me?
Me: *Speechless*
Him: You see, the problem is we are lacked of idea. Not money.

#Conversation 2
Him: Are you expecting to complete your degree?
Me: Yea of course, in about 1.5 years time.
Him: Then we are not hiring you.
Me: Why so?
Him: We want people who are brave enough to go beyond college curriculum. We want people who have done something really great.

People there, are full of crazy ideas, illogical thoughts, random opinions, ambitious visions. At the dinner in London Science Museum, the organizers challenge us one thing- to create or invent something that can be put into the museum in 10years times. Only the best inventions towards mankind will be put inside.

I gulped. And, shiver was sent down my spine.

At that moment, I wasn't even sure what was running on my mind. It just went blank.