The writer is a retired lawyer.
Silicon Valley is a magnet to which numerous talented engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs from overseas flock to in search of fame, fast money and to participate in a technological revolution whose impact on mankind will surely surpass the epoch-making European Renaissance and Industrial Revolution of the bygone age.
With the rapid spread of the Internet since the early '90s, and the relentless technological innovations generated through it, the information era is truly upon us, profoundly influencing and changing not only our lifestyle, but also the way we work, do business, think and communicate with others.
The unprecedented success of the Valley is a testimony to the concerted international endeavours and contributions by people from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds, made possible by the favourable political, economic and intellectual climate prevailing, as well as the farsighted policies of the US government.
It is noteworthy that close to 50% of its skilled manpower, including engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs, come from Asia. Prominent among them are Indians and Chinese, and not a few Singaporeans. They include such illustrious names as Vinod Khosla who co-founded Sun Microsystems, Jerry Yang of Yahoo fame and Singaporean Sim Wong Hoo, to name a few.
Many countries have, or are in the process of creating, their own “Silicon Valley”。 So far, none has as yet threatened the preeminence of the US prototype. What makes Silicon Valley such a unique entity？ There are several crucial factors.
First and foremost, it has the largest concentration of brilliant computer professionals and the best supporting services in the world, and easy access to world-class research institutions, like Stanford University, which continually nurtures would-be geniuses which the industry needs in order to move forward. Without these advantages, the Valley would be a different place.
Secondly, it actively encourages, or even exalts, risk-taking. Hence, failure holds no terror and there is no stigma attached to a failed effort. On the contrary, they will try even harder next time round. Such never-say-die approach is the sine qua non for the ultimate triumph in entrepreneurship and technological breakthrough.
A third decisive factor is the vital role of venture capitalists who willingly support promising start-ups with urgently needed initial capital to get them started. Some would even give failed entrepreneurs a second chance if convinced that a fresh concept might lead to eventual success.
Of equal importance, many bright young people and middle level professionals are keen to work for a new venture at substantially reduced remuneration, as it offers more scope for entrepreneurship and job satisfaction than the established companies. There is also a pride of achievement if their efforts contribute to its fruition.
Intellectual challenges aside, it is a common practice for start-ups to offer generous share options to employees in order to attract the right talent into their folds. This is a powerful incentive to motivate the staff to do their utmost and to share in the company's prosperity if it reaches its goal. Many regard this as the foundation of a successful enterprise.
Those that have become high flyers, such as Netscape, Intel, Cisco and Yahoo, have turned many of their employees, including support staff like secretaries, into dot.com millionaires overnight, often at the relatively young age of 20s or 30s.
The Valley's professionals are among the most hardworking people anywhere. A 15-hour day and 7-day week is not uncommon, especially during the start-up stage. They would give up social life, and curtail their family life too, in order to pursue the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is this single minded pursuit of excellence, supported by strong ethos of team work and esprit de corps, that sustain them until their mission is accomplished.
Paper qualifications, though useful, is not a be all and end all. More weight is given to a candidate's proven abilities and aptitude for the job. This is amply demonstrated by industry icons like Apple's Jobs and Wozniak and Microsoft's Gates, all college dropouts who might not have emerged in a qualification-conscious community.
While racial prejudice no doubt still exists in the United States, albeit in a less degrading form as before, it is hardly discernible in the Valley. What counts most is one's vision and track record, and not one's nationality, skin colour or creed. This, together with its multiracial society, informal lifestyle and agreeable climate, lure foreigners to its shores .
Its phenomenal success has led to a worldwide fever to proliferate dot.com companies, both as a prestigious symbol and a quicker way to wealth. Singapore is part of this rising tide. In Consequence, many bright young people have given up their secure jobs to join in the race. But the reality is that, because of its high-risk nature, for every success story there are hundreds who will, perforce, fall by the wayside. Will they get a second chance, given their own operating environment ？
However, with the collapse of the US Nasdag share index earlier this year resulting in the plunge in prices of technology shares listed on it and elsewhere, the hitherto valuable share options held by numerous paper dot.com millionaires have become virtually worthless in these changed circumstances. Those who could not take the heat, as it were, left their employment feeling disillusioned.
Be that as it may, the majority in the Valley view this traumatic experience only as a temporary setback for the industry. They are sanguine that its longer term prospects remain bright as the ultimate potential of the information age has not yet run its full course.They are confident that it will flourish well into this century provided it maintains its cutting-edge in science and technology.
硅谷的獨特氛圍
藍秉湖
。作者是一名退休律師。
硅谷猶如一塊磁鐵,把許許多多秉賦特出的工程師、科學(xué)家、企業(yè)家從世界各地聚集來這里,一起追求成名致富,并投身于技術(shù)革命的大潮,其影響及于人類,必將遠超過劃時代的歐洲文藝復(fù)興和產(chǎn)業(yè)革命。
互聯(lián)網(wǎng)急速普及,深刻地改變了人們生活、工作、貿(mào)易、思維以及彼此溝通的方式。硅谷成為世界電腦中心,其聲譽無可動搖,靠的是美國和世界各地人才的不懈努力貢獻。
值得注意的是,硅谷地區(qū)的專業(yè)人力資源,包括工程師、科學(xué)家和企業(yè)家,有將近一半來自亞洲,尤其是印度和中國,也有不少來自新加坡。其中聲名卓著者,略舉數(shù)例,便有升陽微系統(tǒng)的創(chuàng)始人之一文諾?？妓估?、雅虎的創(chuàng)始人楊致遠,以及新加坡的沈望傅。
許多國家也有了自己的“硅谷”,或正在著手建設(shè),但至今無一威脅到美國硅谷的地位。美國硅谷與眾不同,究竟秘訣何在呢？筆者認(rèn)為有若干至關(guān)重要的因素。
首先,硅谷有著世界最密集的優(yōu)秀電腦專才群體、的后援服務(wù)體系,并緊密聯(lián)系著斯坦福大學(xué)等世界一流的研究機構(gòu),而后者正源源不斷地培育出電腦業(yè)賴以發(fā)展的明日天才。若缺少這些有利條件,硅谷的面貌便會大不一樣。
其次,硅谷大力提倡、甚至鼓吹頌揚冒險精神,因此失敗并不可怕,出師不捷者也無人恥笑,反而會重整旗鼓、再接再厲。這種永不言敗的風(fēng)氣,是創(chuàng)業(yè)成功和技術(shù)突破所不可或缺的。
第三,創(chuàng)業(yè)投資家也起了重大作用,他們樂于支持前途看好的新創(chuàng)企業(yè),投入其急需的創(chuàng)業(yè)資本以助其起步。甚至對失敗的企業(yè),只要認(rèn)定其概念新穎,最終有可能成功,有的投資家也會給予第二次機會。
同樣重要的是,許多有為青年和中層專才并不熱衷任職于老字號公司,反而不辭薪酬低下,寧愿為新創(chuàng)的企業(yè)效力,因為后者有更廣闊的開拓前景,而工作所得的滿足感也更大。他們?yōu)樽陨淼呐ν苿恿似髽I(yè)成功而自豪。
除了給人專業(yè)上的挑戰(zhàn)之外,新創(chuàng)企業(yè)為了延攬人才,還往往慷慨地給予員工們股票選購權(quán)。這一措施有力地激勵員工們?yōu)楣颈M心竭力,以期與公司共享成功。許多人認(rèn)為這是企業(yè)成功的基礎(chǔ)。
因此之故,網(wǎng)景、英特爾、思科、雅虎等出類拔萃的公司里,包括秘書等后勤職工在內(nèi)的許多雇員成了網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司的股東,往往還在二十幾、三十幾歲時便一夜致富而身家百萬。
硅谷中專業(yè)人士工作之勤奮努力,舉世罕見：每周七日、每日15小時工作司空見慣,尤其是在創(chuàng)業(yè)初期。他們不惜放棄社交生活,減少與家人共處的時間,為的是追求理想彩虹盡頭的那一桶金。正是這樣一心一意追求卓越,加上強大的齊心合力的團隊精神,支撐著他們的奮斗,直至達到目標(biāo)。
在硅谷,文憑雖然有用,卻不是至高無上、一紙定終身,更重要的是求職者的才干須經(jīng)得起考驗,性情資質(zhì)須與有關(guān)職位相合。的事例,莫過于電腦業(yè)的偶像人物如蘋果電腦的創(chuàng)始人喬布斯與沃茲尼亞克,以及來自西雅圖的微軟的創(chuàng)始人蓋茨,他們都是大學(xué)里的退學(xué)生,在講究學(xué)歷的社會里可能永無出頭之日。
種族歧視無疑仍存在于美國,盡管已不及當(dāng)年的露骨,但在硅谷卻近乎絕跡。評價一個人,重要的是看他有何見解,成就經(jīng)歷如何,而不是看他的國籍、膚色、宗教信仰。這一點,加上這里的多元種族社會、不拘禮儀的生活方式,宜人的氣候,使得外國人才近悅遠來。
硅谷的非凡成功,使全球商界興起創(chuàng)辦網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司的熱潮,既借以抬高身價,又趁機快速發(fā)財。新加坡也投入這一潮流,致使眾多青年才俊放棄穩(wěn)定的工作而加入網(wǎng)絡(luò)競賽。事實上,就其本質(zhì)而言,網(wǎng)絡(luò)創(chuàng)業(yè)原有高度風(fēng)險,每有一家公司成功,或許便有數(shù)百家慘遭淘汰,落敗道旁。經(jīng)營的環(huán)境既有不同,這里的落敗者能否有第二次機會呢？
今年初,紐約自動報價股市指數(shù)大跌,致使掛牌于其中以及在各地上市的科技股價格猛瀉,眾多帳面上的百萬富翁先前手持的網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司股票選購權(quán)實際上已分文不值。經(jīng)不起打擊的人心灰意冷,離職而去。
盡管如此,硅谷人大多將把這一痛苦的經(jīng)歷看作電腦業(yè)暫時的挫折,他們?nèi)匀粯酚^,認(rèn)為長期看來前景仍是光明的,信息時代的發(fā)展?jié)撃軄砣辗介L。他們堅信,電腦網(wǎng)絡(luò)業(yè)只要保持先進科技的勢頭,在新世紀(jì)內(nèi)還是會長期繁榮下去的。（莊開仁譯）
Silicon Valley is a magnet to which numerous talented engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs from overseas flock to in search of fame, fast money and to participate in a technological revolution whose impact on mankind will surely surpass the epoch-making European Renaissance and Industrial Revolution of the bygone age.
With the rapid spread of the Internet since the early '90s, and the relentless technological innovations generated through it, the information era is truly upon us, profoundly influencing and changing not only our lifestyle, but also the way we work, do business, think and communicate with others.
The unprecedented success of the Valley is a testimony to the concerted international endeavours and contributions by people from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds, made possible by the favourable political, economic and intellectual climate prevailing, as well as the farsighted policies of the US government.
It is noteworthy that close to 50% of its skilled manpower, including engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs, come from Asia. Prominent among them are Indians and Chinese, and not a few Singaporeans. They include such illustrious names as Vinod Khosla who co-founded Sun Microsystems, Jerry Yang of Yahoo fame and Singaporean Sim Wong Hoo, to name a few.
Many countries have, or are in the process of creating, their own “Silicon Valley”。 So far, none has as yet threatened the preeminence of the US prototype. What makes Silicon Valley such a unique entity？ There are several crucial factors.
First and foremost, it has the largest concentration of brilliant computer professionals and the best supporting services in the world, and easy access to world-class research institutions, like Stanford University, which continually nurtures would-be geniuses which the industry needs in order to move forward. Without these advantages, the Valley would be a different place.
Secondly, it actively encourages, or even exalts, risk-taking. Hence, failure holds no terror and there is no stigma attached to a failed effort. On the contrary, they will try even harder next time round. Such never-say-die approach is the sine qua non for the ultimate triumph in entrepreneurship and technological breakthrough.
A third decisive factor is the vital role of venture capitalists who willingly support promising start-ups with urgently needed initial capital to get them started. Some would even give failed entrepreneurs a second chance if convinced that a fresh concept might lead to eventual success.
Of equal importance, many bright young people and middle level professionals are keen to work for a new venture at substantially reduced remuneration, as it offers more scope for entrepreneurship and job satisfaction than the established companies. There is also a pride of achievement if their efforts contribute to its fruition.
Intellectual challenges aside, it is a common practice for start-ups to offer generous share options to employees in order to attract the right talent into their folds. This is a powerful incentive to motivate the staff to do their utmost and to share in the company's prosperity if it reaches its goal. Many regard this as the foundation of a successful enterprise.
Those that have become high flyers, such as Netscape, Intel, Cisco and Yahoo, have turned many of their employees, including support staff like secretaries, into dot.com millionaires overnight, often at the relatively young age of 20s or 30s.
The Valley's professionals are among the most hardworking people anywhere. A 15-hour day and 7-day week is not uncommon, especially during the start-up stage. They would give up social life, and curtail their family life too, in order to pursue the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is this single minded pursuit of excellence, supported by strong ethos of team work and esprit de corps, that sustain them until their mission is accomplished.
Paper qualifications, though useful, is not a be all and end all. More weight is given to a candidate's proven abilities and aptitude for the job. This is amply demonstrated by industry icons like Apple's Jobs and Wozniak and Microsoft's Gates, all college dropouts who might not have emerged in a qualification-conscious community.
While racial prejudice no doubt still exists in the United States, albeit in a less degrading form as before, it is hardly discernible in the Valley. What counts most is one's vision and track record, and not one's nationality, skin colour or creed. This, together with its multiracial society, informal lifestyle and agreeable climate, lure foreigners to its shores .
Its phenomenal success has led to a worldwide fever to proliferate dot.com companies, both as a prestigious symbol and a quicker way to wealth. Singapore is part of this rising tide. In Consequence, many bright young people have given up their secure jobs to join in the race. But the reality is that, because of its high-risk nature, for every success story there are hundreds who will, perforce, fall by the wayside. Will they get a second chance, given their own operating environment ？
However, with the collapse of the US Nasdag share index earlier this year resulting in the plunge in prices of technology shares listed on it and elsewhere, the hitherto valuable share options held by numerous paper dot.com millionaires have become virtually worthless in these changed circumstances. Those who could not take the heat, as it were, left their employment feeling disillusioned.
Be that as it may, the majority in the Valley view this traumatic experience only as a temporary setback for the industry. They are sanguine that its longer term prospects remain bright as the ultimate potential of the information age has not yet run its full course.They are confident that it will flourish well into this century provided it maintains its cutting-edge in science and technology.
硅谷的獨特氛圍
藍秉湖
。作者是一名退休律師。
硅谷猶如一塊磁鐵,把許許多多秉賦特出的工程師、科學(xué)家、企業(yè)家從世界各地聚集來這里,一起追求成名致富,并投身于技術(shù)革命的大潮,其影響及于人類,必將遠超過劃時代的歐洲文藝復(fù)興和產(chǎn)業(yè)革命。
互聯(lián)網(wǎng)急速普及,深刻地改變了人們生活、工作、貿(mào)易、思維以及彼此溝通的方式。硅谷成為世界電腦中心,其聲譽無可動搖,靠的是美國和世界各地人才的不懈努力貢獻。
值得注意的是,硅谷地區(qū)的專業(yè)人力資源,包括工程師、科學(xué)家和企業(yè)家,有將近一半來自亞洲,尤其是印度和中國,也有不少來自新加坡。其中聲名卓著者,略舉數(shù)例,便有升陽微系統(tǒng)的創(chuàng)始人之一文諾?？妓估?、雅虎的創(chuàng)始人楊致遠,以及新加坡的沈望傅。
許多國家也有了自己的“硅谷”,或正在著手建設(shè),但至今無一威脅到美國硅谷的地位。美國硅谷與眾不同,究竟秘訣何在呢？筆者認(rèn)為有若干至關(guān)重要的因素。
首先,硅谷有著世界最密集的優(yōu)秀電腦專才群體、的后援服務(wù)體系,并緊密聯(lián)系著斯坦福大學(xué)等世界一流的研究機構(gòu),而后者正源源不斷地培育出電腦業(yè)賴以發(fā)展的明日天才。若缺少這些有利條件,硅谷的面貌便會大不一樣。
其次,硅谷大力提倡、甚至鼓吹頌揚冒險精神,因此失敗并不可怕,出師不捷者也無人恥笑,反而會重整旗鼓、再接再厲。這種永不言敗的風(fēng)氣,是創(chuàng)業(yè)成功和技術(shù)突破所不可或缺的。
第三,創(chuàng)業(yè)投資家也起了重大作用,他們樂于支持前途看好的新創(chuàng)企業(yè),投入其急需的創(chuàng)業(yè)資本以助其起步。甚至對失敗的企業(yè),只要認(rèn)定其概念新穎,最終有可能成功,有的投資家也會給予第二次機會。
同樣重要的是,許多有為青年和中層專才并不熱衷任職于老字號公司,反而不辭薪酬低下,寧愿為新創(chuàng)的企業(yè)效力,因為后者有更廣闊的開拓前景,而工作所得的滿足感也更大。他們?yōu)樽陨淼呐ν苿恿似髽I(yè)成功而自豪。
除了給人專業(yè)上的挑戰(zhàn)之外,新創(chuàng)企業(yè)為了延攬人才,還往往慷慨地給予員工們股票選購權(quán)。這一措施有力地激勵員工們?yōu)楣颈M心竭力,以期與公司共享成功。許多人認(rèn)為這是企業(yè)成功的基礎(chǔ)。
因此之故,網(wǎng)景、英特爾、思科、雅虎等出類拔萃的公司里,包括秘書等后勤職工在內(nèi)的許多雇員成了網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司的股東,往往還在二十幾、三十幾歲時便一夜致富而身家百萬。
硅谷中專業(yè)人士工作之勤奮努力,舉世罕見：每周七日、每日15小時工作司空見慣,尤其是在創(chuàng)業(yè)初期。他們不惜放棄社交生活,減少與家人共處的時間,為的是追求理想彩虹盡頭的那一桶金。正是這樣一心一意追求卓越,加上強大的齊心合力的團隊精神,支撐著他們的奮斗,直至達到目標(biāo)。
在硅谷,文憑雖然有用,卻不是至高無上、一紙定終身,更重要的是求職者的才干須經(jīng)得起考驗,性情資質(zhì)須與有關(guān)職位相合。的事例,莫過于電腦業(yè)的偶像人物如蘋果電腦的創(chuàng)始人喬布斯與沃茲尼亞克,以及來自西雅圖的微軟的創(chuàng)始人蓋茨,他們都是大學(xué)里的退學(xué)生,在講究學(xué)歷的社會里可能永無出頭之日。
種族歧視無疑仍存在于美國,盡管已不及當(dāng)年的露骨,但在硅谷卻近乎絕跡。評價一個人,重要的是看他有何見解,成就經(jīng)歷如何,而不是看他的國籍、膚色、宗教信仰。這一點,加上這里的多元種族社會、不拘禮儀的生活方式,宜人的氣候,使得外國人才近悅遠來。
硅谷的非凡成功,使全球商界興起創(chuàng)辦網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司的熱潮,既借以抬高身價,又趁機快速發(fā)財。新加坡也投入這一潮流,致使眾多青年才俊放棄穩(wěn)定的工作而加入網(wǎng)絡(luò)競賽。事實上,就其本質(zhì)而言,網(wǎng)絡(luò)創(chuàng)業(yè)原有高度風(fēng)險,每有一家公司成功,或許便有數(shù)百家慘遭淘汰,落敗道旁。經(jīng)營的環(huán)境既有不同,這里的落敗者能否有第二次機會呢？
今年初,紐約自動報價股市指數(shù)大跌,致使掛牌于其中以及在各地上市的科技股價格猛瀉,眾多帳面上的百萬富翁先前手持的網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司股票選購權(quán)實際上已分文不值。經(jīng)不起打擊的人心灰意冷,離職而去。
盡管如此,硅谷人大多將把這一痛苦的經(jīng)歷看作電腦業(yè)暫時的挫折,他們?nèi)匀粯酚^,認(rèn)為長期看來前景仍是光明的,信息時代的發(fā)展?jié)撃軄砣辗介L。他們堅信,電腦網(wǎng)絡(luò)業(yè)只要保持先進科技的勢頭,在新世紀(jì)內(nèi)還是會長期繁榮下去的。（莊開仁譯）