Internship in Silicon Valley with MTB: interview with Gabriele Scoditti

Gabriele has spent a few months in Redwood City, collaborating with several projects within the Mind the Bridge operations, and - besides enjoying the Californian lifestyle - he has done quite a lot of precious work before returning to his native city, Rome.


His views on our activities reflect the attitude of an Italian young professional who's seen the entrepreneurial system of the Silicon Valley from within.


Q.
Gabriele, can you sum up in three words this particular experience in your cv?

A.
Only three? Well, challenging from a personal point of view, stimulating and extremely useful from a professional point of view.

Q.
How did you arrive at MtB?
Was it in your interest radar already?

A.
I started to be interested in topics such as entrepreneurship and venture capital about a year ago.
While writing my thesis about business angels investing and while working as intern with "Italian Angels for Growth" in Milan, I heard several times about Mind the Bridge, and I became interested in this bridge between Italy and Silicon Valley.
With that being said, when I heard about the possibility of spending some months in the Bay Area, helping out the foundation in some activities related to the business plan competition and the Gymnasium, I thought it could be a dream. Well, sometimes dreams become reality...

Q.
What are your feelings about the Italian start-up community you met while collaborating?


A.
After some months spent working in close contact with the Italian start-ups scene, I have a positive feeling: the scene is moving, the community is growing and becoming more aware of all the opportunities offered by a globalized economy.
Nevertheless what we really need in Italy is to learn how to do business. Several times I met smart engineers with excellent idea in their minds, but without any knowledge of how to build a business from scratch.
In the majority of cases, they give up before starting. In this direction the work that needs to be done is still a lot.

Q.
Do you think that this experience helped you build your professional background? if yes, how?

A.
A work experience abroad is always very important, and, I must say, working in the Silicon Valley is definitely the best abroad-experience you can get.
With 5 years of business-related studies, with a thesis about the startups world, and with a strong interest in these topics, spending few months here has been simply perfect.
In this way, I had the opportunity to learn about this great eco-system and to better understand the importance of the fundamental factors the Silicon Valley is built on, as well as the relationships among these factors.

Q.
Imagine yourself 10 years from now: where do you see yourself: Italy, Silicon Valley or else... ?

A.
This is the hardest question. When you are 24, it's really difficult to make plans for the future. On the one side, I really wish in 10 years I could be satisfied and really passionate about what I'm doing and therefore the issue should not be where I'll live, but what I'll do.
On the other side, if I spend some years abroad (especially in the Silicon Valley), I hope one day I could go back to Italy and do something useful for the Country I really love.

Q.
What's the best and the worst thing that happened to you in this time?

A.
The best thing was being able to know a lot of really interesting people with different backgrounds, as well as increasing my network of contacts.
The worst? Probably, the lost I suffered in the semi-final of the foosball tournament organized with the Funambol guys.

Q.
Your plans for the immediate future?

A.
Don't miss the plane to go back home. Is it a good answer? =)