Many successful entrepreneurs have been asked about the reason why they decided to leave the comfort zone and started their own project; and there’s no common answer to that. I guess some entrepreneurs do it for money, with the intention to have a good pay-out in the exit. But I know a lot of people who take the leap just for the satisfaction of seeing that they were able to build a great product or service.

Mechanical Engineers were crucial during the Industrial Revolution. They were able to build the train that transformed our society. They also had an important role during the twentieth century. They built cars, planes and worked with Electrical engineers to build most of the devices and machinery that surround us.

I must admit that I’m a bit jealous of Computer Science Engineers, because, nowadays, they are the pillar of the tech startups. Every successful innovation has software or can be enhanced by it. This is why I’m determined to improve my programming skills. And I can’t think of a better opportunity to do it than the Mobile Gaming Hackathon that Chartboost is hosting this weekend. We’re expecting over 100 hackers and designers who will team up and build their dream game app in less than 2 days! I can’t wait to see what participants can come up with!

I’m proud of my colleagues and friends Sean, Zach and Ed -engineers from Chartboost- who won the AT&T Hackathon last weekend. Guys: next time, I’ll be part of your team!

This is obviously discouraging for the young people who are currently getting their degree, dreaming of their first working opportunities. However, I’d like to claim, once more, that the youth can conquer the world.

In these times of lack of jobs -at least standard jobs-, the search of value becomes crucial. How can I make an impact on society? What is it that I am passionate about and can improve the current economy? The possibilities are unlimited- each problem to be solved can be a great opportunity!

It’s been proved that the old ways of doing business are not valid anymore. Internet has changed our lives, our corporate structures and dynamics. Mobile internet gets to every pocket, opening up new distribution channels and new business models. Young people are the piece of society that will make corporations not only transform and adapt but take most advantage of these new trends. I can understand that, given the current legislation, it is much cheaper to fire the youngest in the company than a veteran employee. However, employers also need to think in terms of value; younger members of the team can be an expediting spark.

Moreover, young people are also the ones that are most prepared to resolve our current problems and give an answer to our challenges. They are open-minded, they speak several languages, they are cost-effective, they still don’t have familiar obligations. There’s no better moment to start up a company than in our twenties.

So, let’s not take the fact of having a job for granted. Let’s focus on generating value and  look for the answers we can provide the world with; I’m convinced jobs will come later.

but I believe in Spanish talent!

Many Spaniards visiting or moving to Silicon Valley ask about the keys for Spanish companies to be successful here. This is obviously a very tricky question because no one knows the secret recipe to create a company that attracts talent, clients and investors. However, there’s only one piece of advice that I can give to any company from Spain who’s trying to come to the Valley: forget where you come from and focus on where you want to get.

Expanding a business overseas is not easy and Silicon Valley is not a paradise. The way of living and doing business is completely different, plus it requires tons of resources and you need to make sure that it pays off. It can be a necessary step to tackle new markets, acquire new talent and raise money but it can also be a dramatic cash burn.

We, immigrants, tend to protect ourselves from the unknown by creating our comfortable ghettos. There’s a natural tendency to gather with our compatriots. I’ve done that many times and it can be relieving. However, I strongly believe that to multiply the odds of success in Silicon Valley and other parts of the world, entrepreneurs need to leave the comfort zone (and this also includes leaving the Spanish Harlem).

Nowadays, companies and entrepreneurs need to be and think global from the very beginning. I’m not talking only about having an English website; I mean a complete change of mindset. As individuals, we can-and should- take advantage of our original talents and values, but the companies that succeed abroad are those that are able to adapt to foreign dynamics. Looking for an American co-founder, hiring local people, getting international advisors, avoiding being surrounded by expats, attending networking events, applying for acceleration programs… are factors that can definitely help acquire this new internal dynamics.

This is why I don’t believe in Spanish companies anymore.

Los habitantes de esta zona de Estados Unidos respiran tecnología por los poros y eso hace que, sin darnos cuenta, incorporemos una jerga muy particular a nuestro vocabulario.

Me ha llegado este vídeo divertido que refleja esta realidad y he pensado en compartirlo con vosotros.

I know it might sound futuristic but they’re building a personal, mobile, auto-diagnostics product-they refer to it as a Medical Tricorder. I believe that their video (co-produced by IDEO) captures very well their vision and spirit.

All the best guys!

Speakers came from very different backgrounds and industries but there was a common denominator: technology is going to become more human-centered, enhancing new user experiences, better communications and healthier life-styles.

These are some of my notes:

Humanization

“Both [Twitter and Square] are great at encouraging more face-to-face human interactions… I believe strongly that this information and these tools help us be better, but we need to be sure as builders of tools that it’s not overwhelming, that it’s meaningful, and that it’s not distracting. That it’s not something that puts technology first; it puts humans first. And the humans’ use of the technology first.” (Jack Dorsey)

Personalization

Ian Blaine, CEO of The Platform, said that content can’t be pushed homogeneously to everybody. The access to the cloud has to be personalized, adapted to everyone’s preferences. This is what they’re doing at Xfinity, creating a customized way to watch media content and movies, making it more personalized, social and more user-friendly.”There will also be a bunch of extra meta-data around the program, making it possible for end users to find new content by actor or even through personal recommendations. Another neat feature: TV viewers will have a history of the nine most recent items viewed across VOD, live TV and online content.”

Connectedness

Mobile internet is connecting us all, bringing up great capabilities and opportunities in various industries: health, communications, sports… It might sound a bit futuristic, but Jawbone Founder and CEO Hosain Rahman says we’re headed to an era where our bodies can be connected to everything in the world, including our remote doctor, coach or heating system. I’m still impressed by the new wristband that his company has recently launched: UP. This system (wristband+ iPhone app) tracks your daily and sleeping activity and helps you live a healthier live.

Openness and interoperability

I love the idea to share our failing experiences to prepare for success. Because the entrepreneurial life is made of ups and downs. We need to have both to succeed.

I have the feeling that entrepreneurship is becoming a popular trend nowadays (especially in Spain). This is great on one hand: we need to change the way traditional companies work. However I believe that most people have a romantic concept of starting a company. It is actually an exciting adventure but it’s not sexy at all. Start-ups take long-hour workdays, economic efforts, tons of creativity, persistence and, of course, failures. So, we all need to embrace failure and, when things are not going as expected, find the way to pivot, reformulate the value proposition or restructure the team without being discouraged.

In this sense, I’d like to share the wise words of Vinod Khosla at FailCon 2011:

We better stop being afraid of failure and get used to talk about it with the pride that we talk about our successes!

Last week was one of those in which I felt very grateful for the opportunities that life is offering me in this part of the world.

First, on Wednesday I had the chance to meet with Yves Béhar, the founder of Fuse Project. His design studio has become a reference in the human-centered design space. As Tom Kelley said: Through his San Francisco-based design and branding company fuseproject, the Swiss-born Behar has shown that a futuristic, hi-tech approach to design can be deeply humane.

I had seen his TED talk on designing objects that tell stories, I admire his work and was very excited to meet him in person. We met in his San Francisco office in SOMA, a reformed industrial building that gathers engineers, designers and strategists. I loved the atmosphere and the lighting system that is a collection of lamps designed and built by the first employees.

We had a very pleasant discussion about Innovalley, innovative startups and the future of wearable technologies. I had the impression he’s one of those visionaries who like staying down to earth. He’s a tech savvy and knows what he talks about. He gave me valuable feedback. I realized he enjoyed working with startups. In fact, Fuse Project has a disruptive programme -The Design Venture – that connects them with startups and creates profitable joint ventures.

On the other hand, I hade the pleasure to met Mark Dwight, the founder and CEO of Rickshaw bags, which is an outstanding bag company. Its brand is strongly related to the city of San Francisco. Sustainability, design and innovation are Rickshaw’s values.  I had the privilege to visit their facilities, an old warehouse in the vibrant Dogpatch District where they create, test and produce their bags.

Mark is a seasoned entrepreneur. He was previously the CEO of Timbuk2, where he led that company’s successful turnaround. The San Francisco bag company was acquired in 2005 by a San Francisco private equity fund. He left after the acquisition and, following his passion, decided to create his own bag company.

“I love bags and the business of bags.” says Mark. I could tell because he talks about his innovative fabrics and designs with bright in his eyes.

He’s also very passionate about technology. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford and though making bags doesn’t sound very technological, he’s always curios to try new products. I’m sure we’ll be able to surprise Mark with some of our latest innovations.

It was a great pleasure to meet both of you. Your energy, enthusiasm, focus and hard-work are a reference for young entrepreneurs.

He’s probably the best entrepreneur we’ve ever had. An actual visionary. Not those who just have crazy ideas, but those who implement them. He didn’t only see the future, but made it present.

As a young entrepreneur, there are many things that I’ve learned from him. In fact, he’s been a reference for the whole community.

Thanks for your positivism,

for revolutionizing several industries making technology at the service of people,

for making things differently,

for telling us what focusing means,

for that amazing commencement speech at Stanford that I repeatedly watch when I need inspiration,

for reminding us that life is fragile but it’s worth living it with energy.

I am happy you saw the project you created become the most valuable company of the world. You deserved that moment after a whole live devoted to disruptive innovation.

Thanks Steve!