A technology entrepreneur who has lived in Silicon Valley for over 40 years. Through my writings I reflect on:

  • What makes Silicon Valley tick — an insider perspective
  • How I struggled in elevating my own thinking beyond the obvious to achieve success in both the business world and in winning high-pressured bridge championships
  • Why it is important to have gender equality and what may be holding us back.

 

Vinita Gupta - A technology entrepreneur who has lived in Silicon Valley for over 40 years.

Born in India, I am shaped by Western ethics and Eastern-Hindu culture. I challenge my thinking based on Dalai Lama’s philosophy of life and neuroscientist Sam Harris’s exploration of “leading a self-examined life”. Through my teen and professional years, I marched to the tune of an ambitious scholar and a professional, and have been extremely driven to be at the top of the ladder. As a result, I achieved the “top 5 percentile” in most major endeavors of life: I graduated from UCLA in Electrical Engineering with a 4.0 GPA, started my own technology company, and took it public. Married for four 45 years, my husband and I have raised our two daughters while running her-and-his companies. Undoubtedly, aiming high is important… but I have since learned, there is more to life. After my unplanned retirement at 55, I found myself lost for the next several years, which ultimately reshaped me. Past accomplishments seemed less significant, and now I can see why. The past matters only to the extent that we can leverage lessons learned for the future. As I mature, I learn to pursue only meaningful things. To do that, my observations must be more precise, acuter, and I must not be blinded by my own biases. My words and actions must reflect my thoughts with integrity and doubts.

In the last decade, I have competed in Bridge championships, the toughest mind game; I started writing on ‘Huffington Post’ and now publish my own blog, in the hopes of sharing my perspective and experiences; and have picked up oil painting, after 35 years, to impel creativity. I have found a common thread between these diverse endeavors along with my expansive business experience, which has revitalized me, as I now have found the freedom to fail and relearn