Apurva Sacheti is a T'16 and has past entrepreneurial experience in the quick service restaurant and e-learning sectors in India. Apurva completed his bachelor of engineering in electronics and communication from Birla Institute of Technology Mesra in 2009, where he also chaired the IET Student Chapter Technical Club.
“Even average ideas pick up $20 million in the Valley!”
This comment—made by one of the speakers during our recent Silicon Valley Boot Camp, an event organized by Tuck's Career Development Office—was not meant to be taken literally, it did hint at the over-importance we assign to “big ideas.” So if a great idea is not the only thing that makes companies special in California’s Silicon Valley, what does?
Here are five things I learned that do:
1. Tech Mindset. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t anything to do with being an engineer. It’s about how you embrace technology. It’s about believing that small leaps in technology can make aspects of life simpler. An entrepreneurial attitude and an ability to survive in ambiguity are core traits of this mindset too.
2. Fitting in. Companies in Silicon Valley seem to prioritize fit, and rightly so. Cultural fit is a necessity for working at most companies here. And it’s not limited to startups. Take for example Google, which is known to look for ‘Googliness’ in their prospective employees.
3. Finding good problems to solve. Finding solutions isn’t as difficult as finding the right problems to solve. Many of these companies have very carefully chosen which market problems they should invest their time in.
4. Building respect. While this is arguably a standard across all industries, geographies, and functions, it seemed very clear that people who have fulfilled commitments and worked on some quality technology projects and ventures in the Valley over time draw in the best talent, the most funding, and the right connections.
5. Food. Most of these companies provide free food or snacks for their employees. I cannot emphasize the important role this plays in employee productivity. (People who know me would say I’m biased here.)
Most budding and well-established technology companies in Silicon Valley take pride in their talented teams, unique work environment, and commitment-driven work ethos—factors that are sometimes overshadowed by the importance of just having a big idea.