One Survive Silicon Valley's Gold Rush By Gideon Lewis-Kraus

My heart raced uncontrollably as I waited for my turn to come. I was sitting, for the first time, in a classroom in the United States, surrounded by people who were at least 2 years older than I was. Professor Knapp had asked for each one of us to stand up and state the reason why we were taking the Entrepreneurship course that summer at the University of Southern California. I thought I was prepared to answer what seemed like such a simple question, until I heard the responses that my fellow classmates were giving. “I want to expand my apparel business to other states” “I want to make even more than the 70 thousand dollars I made in the stock market last year” “I want universities to encourage the use of the app I built”. What was I supposed

In a capitalistic economy, driven by materialism and greed it's easy to see how competition can be steep, and even overwhelming. Many aspiring for the American dream find themselves in the above position, often times succeeding without advancement, for fear the competition is too steep, and the resources too little. Although entrepreneurship has become a booming industry in America, and all capitalistic governments, it seems that corporations, or large business has all the advantages, often times running smaller companies into the ground, buying them out, or offering prices, or deals that can't be competed against. People see the American dream as just in front of their reach is situations like this, when in actuality they are separated by miles of competition that is far too steep, or unfair. Materials are sometimes presented to those who wish to attempt competition, but most times it is unfortunately unfair. Situations like this also promote each party to do whatever it takes to succeed, even if that may be immoral, or inappropriate. The competition sometimes gets too intense for the average person, especially without the proper utensils to cope with such

do was ask the men at the mill to keep the secret for another six

On January 23, 1848, James Wilson Marshall was working by California's American River to build a sawmill for John Sutter. That night, he had water diverted so it could carry away earth and powdered stone that was there, and the next morning, as he was walking around, he saw a yellow speck in a shallow pool of water. He picked up several pieces and the next day he took it to his boss, John Sutter, to be examined.

Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal, has funded his own fellowship to help entrepreneurial students understand that they “may actually be better off leaving college” (Source E). Each of the winners will come to Silicon Valley to incubate their business ideas instead of getting a degree. While critics argue that Thiel’s success is largely based off of networks forged in his days at Stanford, Thiel remains convinced that college turns students into followers and not leaders. He is just one of the many businessmen who have asserted the importance of gaining real-world experience instead of following a core

Mankind has thrived off of the dependability of ideas and the application of them for centuries. Moreover, humans have sustained healthy lives through developments and inventions that have improved the world around them. From the earliest Mesopotamian creation of the wheel to Apple’s recent release of the iPhone 7, groundbreaking revelations have perpetuated and molded human survival in some aspect. Anyone can generate an idea, but rather, it is the ability to transform that idea into a development that is valued by many--which is what makes being an entrepreneur remarkable. Entrepreneurs are some of the keenest, most creative, and passionate people that walk the earth.

In the first essay of Chapter 7 of “Major Problems in California”, the author Michael Kazin discusses how the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, “thrust California into a burgeoning national economy.” According to the author, “The completion of the transcontinental attracted entrepreneurs in large-scale farming, food processing, petroleum, and other extractive industries who created new markets.” While many believed railroads did not offer benefits, I believe railroads did offer benefits because, “By 1940, California led the nation in production of most crops, was the center of the international film industry, and the foremost manufacturer of ships and aircraft frames.” Also, according to Kazin, “An ever-increasing flow of

As it relates to my chosen entrepreneur, Mark Cuban experiences the rise of new businesses on a regular basis. He is one of the main cast members on the show ‘Shark Tanks’, where a group of successful business leaders listen to new self-starters promote their ideas in hopes of a loan from one of the “sharks”. The show itself has helped inspire many American entrepreneurs to come up with new ideas.

The energy of money makes the world thrive. For decades, people have relentlessly pursued wealth to fulfill their dreams of living a better, richer life. The famous fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger once said, “The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it’s possible to achieve the American Dream." The big question is, "In today 's society, with its elite layer of upper-class taxpayers and overpopulated corporations, does the concept of the American Dream remain viable for all citizens of the United States?"

Before this corrupt era, it was possible to become rich and well-known through hard work and effort. However, times and values have since then changed. The concept of the American Dream was centered on materialistic possessions, corrupting

There have been many discoveries that have shaped our nation as a whole. Discoveries have allowed our country to thrive and become one of the most powerful nations in the world. When we look back at our nation's rich history, it is clear to see that there was one discovery in particular that had a vast impact on the United States; the discovery was gold in California. It was in this vastly unoccupied territory that the American dream was forever changed and California emerged as a powerful state busting at the seams. The California Gold Rush shaped California into the state that it is today. California is defined by its promise of entrepreneurial success and its acceptance and encouragement of obtaining the American Dream.

The American Dream is one of the most sought-after things in the United States, even though it is rarely, if ever, achieved. According to historian Matthew Warshauer, the vision of the American Dream has changed dramatically over time. In his 2003 essay “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Changing Conceptions of the American Dream”, Warshauer claims that the American Dream had gone from becoming wealthy by working hard and earning money, to getting rich quickly and easily. He attributes this change to television game shows, state lotteries, and compensation lawsuits. He also argues that most Americans are more concerned with easy money than hard-earned money, and that Americans care mostly about material goods such as consumer products, big

The popular American capitalist, Warren Buffett, has set the standard for many people by reaching the American Dream for most; from the moment young Warren Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, he had always targeted high and worked harder than anyone, to reach those infinite goals. Many people have different perspectives on what the “American Dream” really means. To some people, being rich, having fame, a happy family, or a healthy lifestyle is what people consider being the American Dream. However, someone like Warren Buffett appears to define the American Dream as having fun with making money rather then the rewarding results that comes from it. Warren Buffett

“Nothing ventured nothing gained” is one of the most famous lesion that was determined by many successful people. In an article, Laura Patrick wrote: “There is no doubt that the number of venture and angel investors in an area is directly proportional to the number of successful start-up companies”. Especially Silicon Valley, Boston, San Francisco, Austin and Seattle areas where is noticed for newly companies succeed that willing to sink money to do business. For me, an ambitious aspiring person, the career conception that is something that can bring much regularly stable avenue even confront with challenges. In the fact that business is typically the leading way for people who start up their career and enrich their property. The inherent

The Tv show Shark tank embodies everything the American dream represents. The show obtains successful Entrepreneurs ready to invest their own money into other Americans wanting to be just like them, reaching the American dream and become a successful entrepreneur. The show presents entrepreneurs working towards the goal of creating a business to not only gain wealth but change the way we live today. The show is to keep the American dream alive and well while offering aid to those who pitch their ideas on the show. The main idea of shark tank is to aid entrepreneurs who need the extra push to really jump start their business.The show gives hope to viewers displaying the the “American Dream” is still possible and ready for the taking. With