By
Linus Felix Awengen
I mainly grew up in Switzerland in a very nice surrounding. My
father was a doctor and my mother was a nurse. When I was two years old,
my parents decided to move to Silicon Valley due to some research of my
dad. Having settled everything down after a while in Silicon Valley, my
dad and a colleague of him came up with a business idea: Inventing a
new hearing aid. He started his project with a colleague in a hospital.
Consequently they worked for almost two years on this project with
investors and having their business idea patented. When I look back at
that time I remember barely having seen my dad and if so, he was working
on the computer and writing on the business plan. My brother, my mom
and I enjoyed an excellent time in California with a lot of going to the
beaches. Although I was very young, I consider it one of the best times
of my life.
However, there came the time where our green card was no longer valid. After two years of living in Silicon Valley, we had to move back to Switzerland. At that time, I remember not understanding why. Consequently, up to the age of 10 years I only spoke English to my parents and my brother.
What now happened concerning the business idea of producing a new hearing aid is really scandalous. When my father started his new job in the hospital in Switzerland, he had an extremely selfish boss. This boss wanted to have all the recognition for this revolutionary new product. Therefore the boss didn't let my dad work and do any research any longer on creating the hearing aid. That is what made it possible for his colleague back in Silicon Valley to become the proper owner of the company. And that is exactly what happened. As the company got through the FDA, it had a worth of $ 20 million. My dad received 60000 shares whereas his colleague had 1 million shares.
What do I want to tell you with this short story?
When you are working on a business idea with one or more partners, make sure that you can cooperate throughout the whole project. You don't want to lose such a great opportunity to become a millionaire as my dad did! Pay attention to whom you are working with and don't trust your colleagues blindly.
However, there came the time where our green card was no longer valid. After two years of living in Silicon Valley, we had to move back to Switzerland. At that time, I remember not understanding why. Consequently, up to the age of 10 years I only spoke English to my parents and my brother.
What now happened concerning the business idea of producing a new hearing aid is really scandalous. When my father started his new job in the hospital in Switzerland, he had an extremely selfish boss. This boss wanted to have all the recognition for this revolutionary new product. Therefore the boss didn't let my dad work and do any research any longer on creating the hearing aid. That is what made it possible for his colleague back in Silicon Valley to become the proper owner of the company. And that is exactly what happened. As the company got through the FDA, it had a worth of $ 20 million. My dad received 60000 shares whereas his colleague had 1 million shares.
What do I want to tell you with this short story?
When you are working on a business idea with one or more partners, make sure that you can cooperate throughout the whole project. You don't want to lose such a great opportunity to become a millionaire as my dad did! Pay attention to whom you are working with and don't trust your colleagues blindly.
This is an impressive story about how entrepreneurialism can
work. It is all about having an excellent idea but not going the extra
mile to finish it.
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