What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 (14 page)

Four years ago, when he turned sixteen, it dawned on me that Josh would be heading to college in only two years. I wanted to share with him what I wished I had known when I left home and when I started my career. So, I created a growing list of things I now know are critically important in making one’s place in the world. This document resided on the desktop of my computer and whenever I remembered another lesson, I added it to the list. A few months after I started this project, I was asked to give a talk to students in a business leadership program at Stanford and decided to use these insights for inspiration. I crafted a talk called “What I Wish I Knew When I Was Twenty,” in which I wove together these concepts with short video clips of entrepreneurial thought leaders who amplified these ideas. The talk resonated with them, and soon thereafter I was asked to give this lecture in other venues around the world. Buoyed by the enthusiastic response, I crafted a book proposal. But, busy with a zillion other things, I never sent it out to potential publishers.

Two years later, I was sitting on an airplane on an early morning flight from San Francisco, on my way to Ecuador. After breakfast was served, I started a conversation with the man sitting next to me, Mark Tauber. He is the publisher of HarperOne in San Francisco, and by the end of the flight we had found several common interests related to education and publishing. We stayed in touch and worked on a few small projects together. A year later, after I sent him a link to the Innovation Tournament Web site, Mark brought several of his colleagues to Stanford to learn more about what’s happening on campus. By the end of lunch, Gideon Weil, a senior editor at HarperOne, suggested that it might be interesting to publish a book that captures the lessons coming out of our classes. I told him I had already written a book proposal on that subject. The good news was that within a few weeks I had a book contract. The challenge was that I had only four months in which to write the book.

With six weeks of travel coming up and a full plate of other commitments, I needed to draw upon everything and almost everyone I know to get this project done. I am incredibly indebted to
all
those people who helped make this project come to life in such a short period of time. They generously shared their successes and their failures, their disappointments and the lessons they learned. They gave me encouragement and suggestions, and they provided me with a wealth of provocative stories.

First, I want to call out all those people who talked with me about their lives and careers, and shared important insights they gained along the way. This includes Lisa Benatar, Soujanya Bhumkar, Steve Blank, Teresa Briggs, Peggy Burke, Tom Byers, Dana Calderwood, Stan Christensen, Sandra Cook, Michael Dearing, Ashwini Doshi, Debra Dunn, Alistair Fee, Nathan Furr, Steve Garrity, Linda Gass, Jeff Hawkins, John Hennessy, Quincy Jones III, Jeanne Kahwajy, Guy Kawasaki, Perry Klebahn, Randy Komisar, Chong-Moon Lee, Fern Mandelbaum, Karen Matthys, Kevin McSpadden, Tricia Lee, Blake Nordstrom, Erik Nordstrom, Elisabeth Pate Cornell, Jim Plummer, Bruce Ransom, Bernie Roth, Michael Rothenberg, David Rothkopf, Linda Rottenberg, Josh Schwarzepel, Jerry Seelig, Jeff Seibert, Carla Shatz, John Stiggelbout, Carlos Vignolo, Quyen Vuong, and Paul Yock.

I also want to thank all those entrepreneurial thought leaders who come to Stanford to share their experiences. I mined the STVP Entrepreneurship Corner Web site for lessons from the following speakers: Carol Bartz, Mir Imran, Steve Jurvetson, David Kelley, Vinod Khosla, Marissa Mayer, David Neeleman, Larry Page, and Gil Penchina. I also acknowledge Steve Jobs for his remarkable commencement address at Stanford in 2005.

My wonderful colleagues at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and the School of Engineering deserve considerable credit for their contributions to this project. They provided me with access to a long list of fascinating people and opportunities, and have enriched my life tremendously. First, let me thank Tom Byers for inviting me to join him ten years ago. Tom has been a terrific role model, a fabulous colleague, and a great friend. Second, I want to call out my fantastic colleagues, Forrest Glick, Theresa Lina Stevens, and Bob Sutton, who provided valuable guidance on this book, and to acknowledge Laura Breyfogle, Kathy Eisenhardt, Riitta Katila, Tom Kosnik, Elisabeth Pate Cornell, and Jim Plummer, who make Stanford’s School of Engineering a remarkable place to work. Finally, special thanks go to STVP’s sponsors, whose generosity allows us to educate the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Also, I need to pay tribute to my inspirational colleagues at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, or d.school. Specifically, I want to call out Michael Barry, Charlotte Burgess Auburn, Liz Gerber, Uri Geva, Julian Gorodsky, Nicole Kahn, David Kelley, George Kembel, Jim Patell, Bernie Roth, and Terry Winograd.

I also want to acknowledge all the students with whom I have the pleasure of working, including the Mayfield Fellows, BioDesign Fellows, the d.school Bootcamp and Summer College students, and all those in my course on Creativity and Innovation. Their entrepreneurial spirit consistently exceeds all of my expectations.

There are also several people who read this manuscript in various stages of its evolution and gave me valuable feedback. This includes James Barlow, Sylvine Beller, Peggy Burke, Katherine Emery, Carol Eastman, Gregg Garmisa, Jonah Greenberg, Boris Logvinskiy, Patricia Ryan Madson, Juliet Rothenberg, Jerry Seelig, Lorraine Seelig, Robert Seelig, and Anand Subramani. Their comments and suggestions had a big influence on the book.

Even with all this inspiration and support, this project would never have materialized without the guidance provided by Gideon Weil at HarperOne. He is a remarkable coach, a terrific teacher, and wonderful editor. I learn something new in every one of our conversations and always look forward to his calls. Additionally, I want to thank Lisa Zuniga for editing the book. She worked with me, at breakneck speed, to make sure that the nuances of all the stories were not lost as she polished the prose. And, special thanks goes to Mark Tauber for befriending me on that cross-country flight several years ago. That story is a powerful reminder that you never know what will happen when you strike up a conversation.

On a personal note, I want to give a huge shout-out to my parents, who laid the foundation of my education. They have been wonderful role models and teachers my entire life. Additionally, my husband, Michael Tennefoss, has been a terrific partner and a valuable advisor while I was writing this book. He listened carefully as I read each chapter no matter what time of day I finished writing, was the first editor of the manuscript, and always provided candid feedback along the way. I am forever indebted to Michael for his helpful suggestions, unconditional support, and unending encouragement.

Finally, I am thankful to Josh for inspiring me to make a list of things I wish I knew when I was his age. Over the past four years, Josh has chimed in with his thoughtful responses to the concepts in this book, and I continue to be awed by his wisdom. This book is my twentieth birthday present to Josh. Happy Birthday…and many more!

CHAPTER 1: BUY ONE, GET TWO FREE

1. You can find details about the one red paper clip project at http://www.oneredpaperclip.com.

2. You can watch winning videos from the Innovation Tournaments on the STVP Entrepreneurship Corner Web site, at http://ecorner.stanford.edu. Search for “tournament” to find them. This Web site contains a growing collection of thousands of video clips and podcasts on entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation.

3. The
Imagine It
movie can be downloaded for free at http://www.imagineitproject.com.

4. You can watch video clips of Vinod Khosla at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

5. The Stanford Technology Ventures Program is hosted by the Department of Management Science and Engineering within Stanford’s School of Engineering. The program Web site is http://stvp.stanford.edu. This site includes links to all the STVP courses, research projects, and outreach efforts.

6. I first heard the concept of T-shaped people from my colleagues at IDEO, a premier design consulting firm in Palo Alto, California.

7. The d.school Web site is http://dschool.stanford.edu It includes extensive information about the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.

CHAPTER 2: THE UPSIDE-DOWN CIRCUS

1. You can find out more about the BioDesign Program at http://innovation.stanford.edu.

2. You can watch video clips of Paul Yock at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

3. This two-part case study is available through the European Case Clearing House. The titles are: “The Evolution of the Circus Industry” and “Even a Clown Can Do It: Cirque du Soleil Recreates Live Entertainment.”

4. You can watch video clips of Randy Komisar at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

5. You can watch video clips of Guy Kawasaki at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

CHAPTER 3: BIKINI OR DIE

1. “Selection by Consequences,”
Science,
vol. 213, 31 July 1981.

2. You can watch video clips of Larry Page at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

3. You can find details about Endeavor at their Web site: http://www.endeavor.org.

4. This exercise is a modification of a project used by Terrence Brown, who used to teach at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden.

5. You can watch video clips of Armen Berjikly at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

6. You can watch video clips about Moto Restaurant on Youtube.

CHAPTER 4: PLEASE TAKE OUT YOUR WALLETS

1. You can watch video clips of Debra Dunn at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

2. You can watch a seven-minute video summarizing this exercise at http://ecorner.stanford.edu. Do a search for “wallet” to find it.

3. You can watch video clips of David Rothkopf at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

CHAPTER 5: THE SECRET SAUCE OF SILICON VALLEY

1. You can find the entire GEM report at: http://www.gemconsortium.org.

2. “Spain’s Showy Debt Collectors Wear a Tux, Collect the Bucks,”
Wall Street Journal,
October 11, 2008.

3. You can watch video clips of Steve Jurvetson at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

4. The Mayfield Fellows Program Web site is http://mfp.stanford.edu.

5. You can watch video clips of Mir Imran at http://ecorners.stanford.edu.

6. You can watch video clips of Bob Sutton at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

7. You can watch video clips of Gil Penchina at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

8. You can watch video clips of Carol Bartz at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

9. You can watch video clips of David Neeleman at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

10. You can watch video clips of Marissa Mayer at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

CHAPTER 6: NO WAY…ENGINEERING IS FOR GIRLS

1. There is an important caveat here: If you’re dedicated enough, it’s worth trying to build a market around your passions and your skills. Think of new artists or musicians who have generated public interest in their work. If you’re creative and work hard, there is often a way to open up a whole new market. There is a story later in the book about Perry Klebahn, who does just this by creating demand for his new snowshoes.

CHAPTER 7: TURN LEMONADE INTO HELICOPTERS

1. You can listen to a podcast with QD3 and MC Hammer at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

2. You can watch the video with the basketball players and the moonwalking bear here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pK0BQ9CUHk.

CHAPTER 8: PAINT THE TARGET AROUND THE ARROW

1. I modified this exercise from one done by Maggie Neal at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

2. You can watch video clips of Stan Christensen at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

3. The concept of having a BATNA—Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement—was first described by Roger Fisher and William Ury in the book
Getting to Yes
.

4.
Mensch
is Yiddish for someone who is admired and trusted and whose opinion is sought out by others.

5. You can see Linda Gass’s paintings at http://www.lindagass.com. She has a new series of paintings devoted to water issues in California.

CHAPTER 9: WILL THIS BE ON THE EXAM?

1. You can watch video clips of Chong-Moon Lee at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.

2. I was inspired to design this game after hearing about another game using jigsaw puzzles from my colleague Carlos Vignolo from Chile. His game runs forty-eight hours.

3. You can watch a five-minute video that summarizes the two-hour exercise by going to http://ecorner.stanford.edu and doing a search for “puzzle.”

CHAPTER 10: EXPERIMENTAL ARTIFACTS

1. When they were doing early experiments, the Embrace team used margarine instead of wax. It is inexpensive and easily obtained, and the temperature at which it melts is very close to body temperature.

2. You can watch video clips of David Kelley at http://ecorner.stanford.edu.