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I have dived in, been under water.
I've had times where I put everything on red.
It is very rewarding to see the result, when you put everything into it.
And you succeed with creating something that didn't exist before.
When you do that and you survive, you feel really strong.
Here in the valley of dreams south of San Francisco entrepreneurs risk everything
- for wealth and success - and maybe a place in the history books.
With billions of dollars and equally many ideas, Silicon Valley has throughout the past
- six decades shaped the world.
Martin Frid-Nielsen has lived in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years.
It's not about work. Most people think Silicon Valley is only about work.
But it's no. It's a life style.
It's 7 am and Martin is on his way out
for a bike ride with his friend Anders Nancke-Krogh who is also an entrepreneur.
People that just work are boring.
They don't contribute with much.
Martin Frid-Nielsen has sold several technology companies for large amounts.
Great Anders.
We are here. Let's do it.
We are going to Bucks Restaurant in Woodside.
It's a short ride, how far is it Anders?
25 minutes?
Yes it's like a beginner's ride.
Most people associate Silicon Valley with technology companies
that created smart phones;
search engines that revolutionized the way we find information;
Social networks that completely changed how we communicate;
The world famous university Stanford that educate many of the talents in the valley.
But Silicon Valley is more than big companies in shiny buildings.
It is the start-ups and the creativity that is predominate in the valley.
And the big companies were once start-ups.
Regis McKenna has been part of Silicon Valley since the beginning
While Martin already has success, Anders Nancke-Krogh is still
just beginning his ride.
He and his wife have for the past four years worked
on their breakthrough without an income.
They hope their company will become as famous
as Google, Apple or Facebook.
I haven't worked as much, as I have done for the past six months. It has been crazy.
You don't take the weekend off at all? - Never.
Anders had a good and well paid job at Nokia for many years. The dream about creating his own
product made him cut all ties to the low risk lifestyle.
We pay our selves a micro salary just enough to keep the lights on.
Martin is CEO of Soonr. He founded the company
in 2005 and today it provides services to more than 140,000 companies.
You know, it was tough in 2008, right?
Really tough. We couldn't pay the bills. You show up at the office and
there is a lease termination on your door.
You took a salary cut as well.
You are on the edge, can't get any further and yet you find a way.
It is more than forty years ago the Valley started researching the
- technology that would have a significant impact on our world.
In 1957 scientist Robert Noyce who was twenty nine at the
- time and seven of US's most talented engineers
- and scientists decided to leave Shockley Semiconductors.
They met at a restaurant in San Francisco and agreed to create Fairchild.
They didn't have any paper so they
signed $1 bills instead. Those $1 bills are called
Silicon Valley Declaration of Independence.
Fairchild Semiconductors became one of the most iconic companies in Silicon Valley.
Robert Noyce invented the microchip. The world was changed forever.
A little over a hundred years ago people came from all over the world
- to dig gold in California. Now they did it again;
- but this time the gold was replaced with silicium.
Hundreds of companies popped up from the valley.
The Fairchild mentality is still alive. The culture is relaxed, even though the education level
- is the highest in the USA and the concentrations of millionaires is extremely high.
The most used business meeting location, is a small diner in the hills.
You should get a Tesla! - I don't think
- I'm quite there yet; can't afford one. I'm going this afternoon.
It's about time. It will take another couple of years.
Here we are. Want to go in and check if they
still have our reservation? Let's do it.
At first sight Bucks diner doesn't look like a meeting place for CEO's and investors
- but it is. Million dollar deals are here,
- made over a cup of coffee and a burrito.
Have you experienced any interesting meetingsat this diner? Well, I once sat in the back; I had another start-up
at that time. IBM came in and made a $100 million investment.
I would say this is Silicon Valley in a nutshell.
On the wall we have photos of various failures. Failures are important in Silicon Valley.
We learn from them. We are not in an industrial environment
- or a Starbucks. This is more organic, you look at the waitress and they are casual.
This is what I think, Silicon Valley is.
Martin has used the restaurant to raise money for his companies.
Anders is more cautious. He has not looked for investors for his business.
I admire Martin and his ability to take risk. I am much more careful.
I risk my own money but I don't risk other people's money.
Venky Ganassan is investor, venture capitalist.
You go to venture capitalist to sell your idea and to buy time and money for development.
More than one third of US venture capitalists are located in Silicon Valley.
Venky broke his ankle snowboarding.
He didn't like the crouches, so he was looking for a smarter more innovative solution.
We spend the first two years in a submarine. Taking a huge risk with no income, you only pay the rent.
Then you surface like a periscope and say, look what I've got.
And you have no idea what the response is going to be.
Anders Nancke-Krogh and his wife Nina
- has worked, with out pay, on their software Quant for the past four years.
How much is at stake? Everything we had on our bank account.
They had to quit their jobs in order to pursue their dream.
It's ironic, we used to work in that building, and now our software is installed across the street.
While they are waiting and hoping for the big breakthrough,
- they have been fortunate to get their software installed in a luxurious showroom.
Their software allows windows to move between computers.
This is our kitchen... ..installation.
This is a live stream from the lobby. We can see people walking in the lobby.
You can take the camera with you and move it on top of your TV.
Multiple people can use the monitors simultaneously.
Christmas 2012 was the worst period... ... for as long as I can remember. It was really difficult.
January 1st was the day we had agreed to press the exit-button;
- sell our condo and shut down. I remember walking down the street in December seeing a homeless.
I looked at him and thought: that's me. That's where I have taken us.
Not everyone in Silicon Valley is living the dream - but everybody dreams.
More than 100 families live in the trailer park. Most of them have normal jobs.
They can't afford a house or a condo in Palo Alto,
an area that has the second highest cost of living just below Manhattan in New York.
In this park a trailer cost approximately $50,000.
Erica's brother studies at one of the prestigious universities in Silicon Valley.
My success is based on a combination of things. I have been lucky.
I was at the right place, at the right time.
We're going down Highway 280, that cuts through Silicon Valley.
To me the journey is the most fun. I have done it a few times and been lucky to succeed.
Welcome to Soonr. This is your typical start-up office in Silicon Valley. We could have used more space but this is what we've got.
There is a sales culture in America. One of the most important things
- in a start-up is that when you close a deal you ring the bell.
I have given it all I could. No one held me back. People have been sitting on the side and applauded.
Many companies have grown big in Silicon Valley but no one has created
- a brand like Apple. After 13 years Coca Cola had to hand over the title as the most valuable brand in the world - to Apple.
Regis McKenna designed Apples successful marketing strategy.
Today one of the most successful companies in Silicon Valley is Tesla.
I am living the dream. Of course it's a dream that has a price. I'm lucky to have all this.
It can be tough to do everything in life. To work here you have to give 100 percent.
The dream is starting to become reality for Anders & Nina. The first customers are interested.
Anders is going to present the software at an important conference over the weekend and is still a few things missing.
Nina I was thinking, have you installed MOSAIQQ on your Vaio?
Not yet. Does it have to be right now? I'm very interested to see if it will run.
If it does, it means we have a network of six computers.
Why not do it now? I can find it? While this is getting ready. I'll find it. You can continue doing that.
What is awesome? The Vaio works! This five year old computer can run our software
- with live streaming. Let's see if we can control the volume? Ha, volume is up!
This is great! I'm really happy!
I didn't think it could.
Silicon Valley has impressed and improved the world over six decades.
For those that live, work and dream here - the valley often reward success with wealth.
This is a place where you can get really far. No one is holding you back, the sky is the limit.
We have an important expression here: "Good for you!" - You are happy when other peoples succes.
What is your personal dream?
Personally;continue to create and build new things. As soon as we have succeed with one idea, 3-4-5 new ideas comes up.
The spirit of the Fairchild Semiconductors founders is still alive.
The man that has been part of it since the beginning, think we have much more ahead of us.