Open a Company with USD 9,000

In 1975, the summer of Silicon Valley was hotter than previous years. Even in California, an area known for its pleasant climate, there was hardly a drop of rain all the year round. It was the ideal option to set up an electronics company there since it was very dry. I had been standing on the dry asphalt road for almost two hours, waiting for someone in the bright and hot sunshine.

“Excuse me... is this the company?”

It was the first question asked by those who came to our office. Even the proper address was provided for the ordering party, nobody could find the right place of our company. This was no wonder, since our company had no decent office in everyone's eyes. Our“office” was just an old and broken garage in an ordinary residential area.

It had been 10 years since I came to the United States carrying only USD 50 in my pocket. I had just USD 9,000 in total to set up the company. Nothing left if I had rented a normal office. New ideas mushroomed in my head, yet I did not have adequate funds and space to realize them.

I walked out of home terribly upset, looking up into the high sky. The garage, I noticed. The garage was next to our house where my whole family lived. No air conditioner in it and it was as hot as a stove in the summer time. Even my willing partners shook their heads yet they offered no better solution. However, I had the belief that our blueprint was doomed a success.

I had dream of creating a game console boosting unprecedented functions. We stayed up late day by day, modifying the design drawings for game cards again and again. We, a group with ambitions, still needed quite a number of essential parts for our production. Since our“office” was spacious, I mean the garage in a residential area, we had to shout into the intercom system to guide the route each time when the delivery arrived.

It was the monitor, one of the most important parts, should be blamed for this issue. Monitor for game console was only available from Motorola in those days, which was always in short supply as Motorola was the only supplier in the world. Even a leading manufacturer of game console might have to wait for ages for the monitors, not to mention those small and medium-sized players competing in this industry. In a word, manufacturers of game console were often troubled with the supply shortage of monitors.

“We are planning to order your monitors.”

“No problem, please tell us the address of your company so that we can send someone to talk to you.”

I could not help but startled when I heard someone would visit our company and I replied:

“Oh, why must a face-to-face talking? How about ordering on the phone?”

“A face-to-face is necessary since it's the first deal between us. We'd have an idea of company profile and production lines at least.”

“We can go to your office to explain in details.”

“I'm afraid that we have to visit your company in person.”

We finally told them our address after a long discussion, but I felt uneasy after I put down the receiver. I was worrying about whether Motorola, such a giant in the industry, would trade with a company that produced game consoles in a garage.

A conversation from outside interrupted my anxiety. I ran out and saw a person looked like an employee from Motorola who was sweating to ask, with a voice full of unpleasant and disgusting:

“It is the address, but where is the company?”

That guy did not notice our“garage office” that day and turned away. Hearing his voice, I ran out rapidly with a smile to greet him but got no response, only a disgusted expression and a quick leave.

My legs gave way and I almost sat on the ground. However, I still held a glimmer of hope that he might come back again, so I stood motionlessly in front of the garage for two hours.

I could not wipe the sweat drops flowing on my face, and tried to ask myself that whether I have the confidence to let them wait for me in the future? My answer was“YES”. It did not take too long to make it become reality.