MEMS entrepreneurial perspectives

Abstract

Being involved in the founding of a successful start-up company is one of the most exhilarating and satisfying experiences a person can have. Inventing, developing, and bringing to market a new product or a new technology, which provides a service that thousands or even millions of people will actually PAY to enjoy, is almost mind numbing. I have started six companies. TDI, NovaSensor, and Verreon were eventually acquired. Cepheid did an IPO in 2000. SiTime and Profusa are still private, but both have the potential to do an IPO. Looking back, you realize how luck can also be involved in such successes. To a large extent, people do make their own luck, but large success stories are often dependent on a substantial degree of good fortune. This paper is intended to discuss various stories of some of my start-up companies, how we overcame crucial hurdles, start-up advice, and how today’s entrepreneurs might help themselves “make their own luck”.