“We [Asians] have great scientists and engineers, but are they creative enough? And are they gutsy enough to be entrepreneurs, or do they think it is better to work for Microsoft or IBM? Steve Jobs saw a vision and he changed the world. We need more people with success stories. It will happen that parents tell kids not to study to become doctors and lawyers but study technology. “There is a likelihood Asia can overtake Silicon Valley, and no one will be surprised if that happens. If foreign investors smell something that is good, they will come in.”
– Benjamin Ng, general manager of Sphere Exhibits, the organizer of DEMO Asia, Asia Pacific’s launchpad for emerging technologies and trends
“We’ve been working our butts off in creating a company that’s built to last, a true leader in software …. [W]e’re also intent on helping put Arizona on the map as a tech center by investing in the local entrepreneurial community.”
– Kathy Sacks, blogger, Infusionsoft
“Russia possesses an enormous technology base; what’s missing is simply an effective transmission into real goods and services. … Silicon Valley is a culture, not a place. For example, can your society allow frequent job-hopping every six or 12 months? Will your visa, residency and labor laws efficiently accommodate this? Because that’s what allows Silicon Valley to rapidly re-allocate its human capital to where it is most productive. ,,, “Successive trial and error and a high tolerance for failure is essential for innovation.”
– Steven Geiger, COO, Skolkovo Foundation
“Silicon Valley is a lot about relationships, which is a similar message to what we preach to the entrepreneurs in Ireland. … I think the Irish Technology Capital fund is going to raise more money and that it’s going to be an example of what venture and new ideas can do for the country. I think both the fund and [Irish Technology Leadership Group] are just beginning. … But as someone who’s been in venture capital a while the people involved here have their hearts in the right place and it’s not all just about money, but ideas and encouragement.”
– Rich Moran, Silicon Valley venture capitalist and best-selling author
“One of the main reasons why we moved to Northern Nevada is that a handshake means something here.”
– Jarrod Lopiccolo, co-founder of web development company, Noble Studios
“These companies [U.S.-listed Chinese IPOs] going private has added to the anxiety of U.S. investors because these companies’ founders are buying back shares from the public markets often at a fraction of what they sold them for. People then don’t trust the accounting and it adds to skepticism about how transparent these markets are and how fair they are compared to the U.S.”
– Tom Murphy, securities lawyer at McDermott Will & Emery
“At this point, there is unity in believing any company, on a global scale, would be foolish to state that they know the exact technology or components they will use to build an exascale machine. Systems will be hybrid, heterogeneous and unique. And there are too many unknowns and too many paths being explored at this time to pick the winners from these many options. You can expect to see Russia holding its own in the exascale race with little or no dependence on foreign manufacturers.”
– Mike Bernhard, writer of The Exascale Report