“ABC Silicon Valley amplified the way I think about innovation by showing me so many different perspectives from around the world.”
Can you introduce yourself? Tell us your name, where you’re from, and a bit about your background.
My name is Ivan, I’m from Zagreb, Croatia, and I’m currently a third-year Computer Science student at the University of Zagreb.
In my free time, I’m developing multiple products with a team I joined about six months ago, and I also work full-time in equity research.
What were your expectations before coming to ABC Silicon Valley?
I had pretty high expectations before coming here because I had heard so many good experiences from people who had previously attended ABC BootCamps.
What I was hoping for was to be surrounded by like-minded and motivated people who were already developing their own products. I also expected the program to be very entrepreneurial, with a lot of insights into breakthrough technologies.
What has been your favorite part of the program?
I definitely have to say the company visits, as well as all the tours we did around the city and the interesting places we visited. I really enjoyed hearing all the stories along the way and seeing these places in person.
Which company visit, workshop, or speaker had the biggest impact on you?
I definitely have to say the Tesla visit. I’m a huge fan of Elon Musk, so seeing the scale of the operations firsthand was amazing. Getting to test-drive the Cybertruck was also a really nice highlight.
Did ABC change the way you think about innovation?
I like to say that it didn’t really change the way I think about innovation, but it amplified it.
I’ve seen so many different perspectives from people all over the world. Everyone came here from a different point in their life, and it was really motivating to see what other people are doing and to think about what I could implement in my own life.
What is one memory from the program you will never forget?
Definitely seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. It was something I had only seen in movies before.
The whole Silicon Valley experience was also quite surreal for me. I’ve read a lot of books about entrepreneurship and startup founders, and I never really thought I would be here myself. I’m only 21, and two months ago I didn’t even know I would be attending this camp. Now I’m here in the heart of Silicon Valley, seeing and experiencing things I had previously only seen in videos!