The startup phase of a company can often be awkward and painful like acne ridden teenage years, but starting up in Silicon Valley has been down right seductive to young people in various technological fields.

Google, Facebook, Apple, Whole Foods, Starbucks and eBay; what do they all have in common? They are all fortune 500 companies and were all once startups with next to nothing. Glimmers of genius can often show themselves in moments of conversation; and when they do, it can turn a regular old conversation into the inception of the world’s next fortune 500 company. 

All companies have to endure their startup phase, however long that may last. In the 21st century the industry with the most startups is by far technology, with two American cities at the focal point: Austin, Texas and Silicon Valley, California.

In a patch of land tucked away between the vast California hills lies a hotbed for the latest technological advancements worldwide known as Silicon Valley. Last year I paid a visit to the area and spent over a week gallivanting through immeasurably valuable entrepreneurial information. In an effort to form a more concrete understanding of Silicon Valley as a startup ecosystem, I decided to conduct an interview with a Stanford student who has aspirations of forming a company someday as well as, a recent college graduate who was just hired to engineer robots for a startup in Silicon Valley. The focus of my questions surrounded their decision to adopt the area as the hub for their hopes and dreams, and why not anywhere else.

Joseph was my Standford student, his motives were mostly the high level of technological proficiency and creativity, “It’s Florence during the Renaissance. No other place currently harbors such a unique intersection of unabashed creativity with abounding opportunity”. He added that breaking into a market or joining one is typically a hostile environment and that most who are doing so these days are under 40. “... initial capital and VC are the only things that can monetize a new business to sustain itself long-term, which are far more commonly available in Silicon Valley than anywhere else in the world today.”

Michael was my robot engineer, his decision to move to Silicon Valley seemed to be more about experience than security. “Having just graduated I had two offers; move to Philadelphia and start a business with friends, or move to Palo Alto and get in on the ground floor of something groundbreaking in the robotics industry”. Michael wouldn’t tell me what was earth-shattering about it, just that I’d have to wait and see. However, he did liken it and the experience thus far as, “like being a part something on Apple’s level, before they introduced the Macintosh”. 

He also mentioned what he calls the “Cloud” effect, which to him is what happens when the number of people with new ideas increase in an industry, while having these ideas encouraged and often developed then utilized. According to him, this generates an effect that increases over time and fosters constant creativity that stimulates innovation across the board. 

Not all startup stories are fairy tales and working or living in Silicon Valley doesn’t guarantee technological savvy or success. It does seem as though the area has a reputation for innovation, in a nation known for stagnation. Growing a business is like planting a tree from a seed; it is often a gruelingly long  and strenuous process that takes dedication, perseverance and patience. The possibilities are endless along the way to fulfilling potential and some have even struck gold and made incredible advancement for humans worldwide.