The atmosphere in Silicon Valley is unlike anything I’ve experienced elsewhere. People’s openness to risk is what has enabled countless of startups to fundamentally change people’s lives for the better. There’s a real sense of personal responsibility amongst entrepreneurs that drives them forward.
I’ve also found some people are hesitant to get started because if they fail, they will inextricably be to blame. The key to overcome this fear is to realize that the only time you truly fail is when you stop trying.
The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers. He cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his sort-comings by blaming his opponents and hope the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny he did it. If his works do not work, he is damned.