Chapter 18 America Let Me Find My Entrepreneurial Passion

In September 1990, when I first arrived in the United States, I started to contact my classmates and friends.When they heard that I gave up my doctorate in Japan and came to the United States empty-handed, they were all incredulous.In a trance, I seem to have experienced a time reincarnation. The trip to the United States in front of me is just like my first arrival in Japan 5 years ago. Everything is completely strange and nothing to rely on.However, there are differences from 4 years ago. When I went to Japan, I was still a government-sponsored international student, and the Ministry of Education paid me tuition and living expenses. Now I have nothing but two suitcases.

I am determined to forget about these unpleasant feelings, and to understand as soon as possible what kind of country I have long dreamed of, the United States.I bought a plane pass, which can travel around 10 major cities in the United States with one ticket. My first stop was San Francisco.When I got out of the airport, I paid 20 dollars for the first time to enjoy the limousine that I used to be able to afford when I watched a tycoon in a movie, and asked the driver to take me all the way to the hotel.On the way, I was amazed at such a wide road, and there are 6 expressways extending in all directions. Such a grand vision is obviously different from the exquisite scene of the island country Japan.I spent three days in San Francisco by myself, wandering around and browsing everywhere, and I felt that everything was new.Having stayed in Japan for 5 years, I have gotten used to the Japanese culture and the Japanese way of thinking.It was only when I came to America that I got a strong sense of what it is like to breathe the air of a free society.Although I don't know where the road ahead is, I am full of hope for the future.

While in Japan, I contacted three universities: Caltech in Los Angeles, Marquette University in Milwaukee, and Rice University in Houston.All three universities offered me postdoctoral research positions, and I needed to decide which one to choose.So I went to Los Angeles for the second stop and settled with a classmate of Caltech.Los Angeles is one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of 15 million, backed by mountains and facing the sea, with a pleasant climate.There are Disney, Hollywood, and a large Chinese community.There are 100,000 Chinese living in the Monterey Park urban area, and there is almost no difference between eating Chinese food there and in China.I feel that Los Angeles is an ideal city for me, and I stayed there for 10 days, which is the longest of this tour.Later, because the teacher at Caltech did not finalize, I continued on the road.

After flying into Chicago, I took the Greyhound (coach bus) to Milwaukee.It was already past 10 o'clock in the evening when we arrived, and Milwaukee in October had already entered autumn. The autumn wind was blowing, and the fallen leaves were scattered, making the scene very bleak.It was four to five hundred meters from the bus station to the hotel where I was staying. The lights were dim along the way, and there were a few black people wandering not far away, so I hurried up my pace.Coming from sunny California to this gloomy town in the north-central United States was a bit of a stretch for me.

I came to Marquette University early the next morning. The teachers there are good and they hoped that I would stay.Local international students helped me arrange a hotel next to the school to stay.Unexpectedly, after 3 o'clock in the middle of the second day, a drunk black man knocked on my door randomly, and the door seemed to be broken by him.I hurriedly called the hotel security to take this man away.I didn't sleep all night because of it.Years later, when Yi Jianlian first joined the NBA, he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was reluctant to go to Milwaukee for a time, hoping that the Bucks would trade him to a team in another city. I understand that feeling very well.After tossing and turning, I decided that I couldn't stay in this place any longer.This is not the America I imagined, and the school is just average. I should find a place I like.

I went back to Chicago on the "Greyhound" for a round.Then went to Detroit, Boston, New York, Washington, Miami, Houston, Denver, etc., and then returned to Los Angeles.This long trip around the United States took me a month, and I finally decided to continue my postdoctoral research in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Caltech. This is how my career in Los Angeles began, and I often refer to Los Angeles as my third hometown (first hometown Changzhou, second hometown Nagoya).When I first entered the school, I saw small advertisements for "sell bicycles" and "sell second-hand computers" posted all over the dormitory.Then I found out that it only costs $100 to register my own company in the United States, and the procedure is extremely simple.The strong business atmosphere shocked me, and then I felt itchy.I really realized that the social environment in the United States really values ​​innovation and encourages entrepreneurship, and I was immediately attracted.Caltech's computer room is open to the public, and I spend all day in it doing some research of my own.My first patented invention, the karaoke scorer, was made at that time.

Looking for new development space I have actually experienced many failures in my life.It was a failure to take the university entrance examination, and it was another failure to study in Japan for graduate school.My behavior of fleeing to the United States after the conflict with Itakura-sensei was inappropriate anyway.But from another perspective, the change of life environment from Japan to the United States is my active choice, and it also creates new opportunities for my future career. Most of the 100 students who studied in Japan in the same class as me chose to stay in Japan for development.Most of them are still senior employees in large companies in Japan, and some of them are professors in universities.Because the Japanese nation is quite xenophobic, it is almost impossible for foreigners to enter the management of Japanese companies.If I hadn't chosen to go to the United States, it would have been difficult to have future development opportunities.Therefore, this is also a very important workplace law,

When people around you are obsessed with food and clothing, you should discover new opportunities.If you feel comfortable working in a company, you need to find new development space. Although Japanese companies are good at management practices, the disadvantage is that it is difficult to generate new ideas.More business ideas are always produced in the United States, which is the difference brought about by the cultural environment and atmosphere.After arriving in the United States, Americans like challenges, passion, innovation, and a little bit of an adventurous character, which enabled me to gain this advantage again.