Inside the Mindset of Silicon Valley's Tech Innovators
Home to many of the world's most influential technology companies as well as thousands of promising startups, Silicon Valley is the launchpad for multiple generations of entrepreneurial talent. But there are skilled, capable founders, and then there are the true visionaries—those lightning-in-a-bottle geniuses whose products and services change the world. What separates the best from the rest?

Fred Terman knew genius when he saw it. Widely regarded as the father of Silicon Valley, Terman in 1925 joined Stanford University's engineering faculty, where his students redefined the notion of precociousness. Chief among them, William Hewlett and David Packard went on to launch their eponymous IT firm in a Palo Alto, Calif., garage two miles northeast of campus; brothers Russell and Sigurd Varian later founded Varian Associates and invented the klystron tube, a high-frequency amplifier for generating microwaves.
4th of July Subscription Sale - Unlock this subscriber exclusive article and more for 20% off today.
Access all Entrepreneur content with no ads, unlock discounts, and get exclusive advice only available to our subscribers. Plus, our magazine delivered straight to your door.
Get 20% off an annual subscription today. Just use code SAVE20 at checkout.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
Tory Burch Built a Brand Around Empowering Women. Now Her Foundation Is Furthering Her Mission: 'How Do We as a Company Have a Positive Impact on Humanity?'
-
This Founder Had to Play College Basketball in Men's Shorts and Shoes, So She Launched an Athletic Clothing Company Named After the Now 50-Year-Old Title IX Act
-
Is Beyoncé's 'Break My Soul' the Theme Song of the Great Resignation?
-
You're Probably Falling for All of Amazon Prime Day's Psychological Sales Tactics. A Marketing Professor Reveals Them — and How You Can Actually Get the Best Deal.
-
Comedian Paul Virzi: 'If You're Not Authentic, You Have Nothing'
-
Struggling to Come Up With Creative Ideas? Try Doing This.
-
Picking a Winning Emerging Brand Is How You Get Rich in Franchising. Here's How to Spot One.