What is the secret to the success of the companies in Silicon Valley, California? How have so many organizations in that region been able to shape technology, the corporate environment, and culture, especially in the West? What is the future vision of the people who lead the significant corporations established there? 

 

Over five days in early October, a group of Insper students had the opportunity to participate in an immersion in Silicon Valley to seek answers to these questions. This edition of Insper's Learning Journey featured Professor and Program Director of the Undergraduate Program in Computer Engineering, Raul Ikeda, who traveled directly from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is based throughout the second semester due to a partnership with Insper.  

 

 

Intense schedule 

 

On the first day, the group visited Stanford University, accompanied by entrepreneur, investor, and professor Bret Waters — who guided the students in various activities throughout the week. The day also included practical prototyping and pitching activities, challenging the students to apply innovative concepts in real time. 

 

The second day was dedicated to better understanding the history of computing. Stanford professors gave lectures and accompanied a visit to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. “In addition to learning about the past to better understand how Silicon Valley became such an important reference, the students attended classes on topics such as non-verbal communication and product-market fit,” says Ikeda. 

 

The following day was marked by a visit to Santa Clara University, the oldest educational institution in the state. There, the focus was on social entrepreneurship and sustainable business models. 

 

The day started in a remarkable way, as recounted by one of the students, Fernando Sollak, Director of Human Relations at TOTVS. “Breakfast took place at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside, an environment known for attracting many entrepreneurs from the region to discuss business during the first meal of the day,” he reports. 

 

The penultimate day offered a different perspective: contact with those who finance startups, held within the University of California at Berkeley. The conversations were led by Professor Rick Rasmussen, who addressed the open innovation ecosystem developed in the region, explained how to create scalable financial incentive models for entrepreneurs — and also guided the students through Memorial Stadium, which accommodates 62,000 people and has hosted amateur American football matches between Berkeley and Stanford teams, the California Golden Bears, and the Stanford Cardinal since 1892.

 

Tamires Rocha: "Viagem representou uma conquista pessoal"Tamires Rocha: "The trip also represented a personal achievement for me."

 

Career impact

 

"During this visit, it became clear to the students how challenging it is to invest in startups," explains Raul Ikeda. "As the trip's itinerary highlighted, the university environment is vital for the success of ventures in Silicon Valley. It also stood out how accessible professors, investors, and entrepreneurs are and how much they value networking. It was a significant and very positive cultural shock."

 

The trip concluded with a day of visits to different companies, including the headquarters of Google, Apple, and Coupa Software, once again in the company of Bret Waters. "Having Bret accompany us throughout the entire program was very special," says 37-year-old Tamires Rocha, head of Education at VAI Academy, part of the Visagio Group.

 

"He is very friendly, truly embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, and introduced us to various connections he had, including people, insights, and learnings," she emphasizes. She also produced a video documenting the experience and highlighting crucial aspects of the entrepreneurial environment in the region, such as the low state interference and the encouragement to take risks, fail quickly, and restart with agility.

 

"I learned about the Learning Journey during a guided tour at Insper. It was at that moment that I chose to pursue my MBA at the institution," she says. "I had an expectation to understand why everyone talks about Silicon Valley as the cradle of innovation and to get a taste of this environment through visits to universities and companies. The classes exceeded my expectations. I was able to understand not only where the 'magic' of Silicon Valley comes from but also had direct contact with professors who are specialists in the themes they brought up. It was very inspiring."

 

For Tamires, the experience also represented a personal achievement. "I come from a humble family that moved from the countryside to the capital of Pernambuco, and I never imagined the possibilities of international travel for someone without resources at that time. My 15-year-old self could not even dream of where I would be today. I am very proud of what I have achieved and am very grateful for the decisions my grandparents and parents made to prioritize the family's education. Today, I work with education and entrepreneurship and want to continue impacting more people with the experiences I've gained."

 

 

Diverse experiences

 

Fernando Sollak, who is 38 years old, also chose the Insper program precisely because it would allow him to get to know the region. "This contact with the best practices of Silicon Valley is very important for the stage I am at in my career. Today, I am challenged to bring a different perspective to innovation," he says.

 

The diversity of the group of students contributed to enriching the trip. "I wanted a different kind of program, one that did not just have lectures. I was looking for something that could add value in a different way to my professional and personal experience. And I became interested in this experience because the group had students with different profiles. We were able to exchange ideas and translate some of the challenges that happen in Silicon Valley to the reality in Brazil," he says.

 

The experience is already having positive impacts on his routine, he reports. "I am bringing many of the concepts I saw there into my daily professional life. I perceive that my education becomes much more robust with an international experience like this. I come out of this journey a more complete professional, with an important refreshment. Above all, the exchange with the group and with professors of various nationalities, genders, and ages contributed significantly to my professional growth."

 

Fernando Sollak: “Estou aplicando na prática muitos dos conceitos que vi na viagem”Fernando Sollak: "I am putting into practice many of the concepts I learned during the trip."


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