The intention and vision for this book was clear from the start, along with my passion and commitment to share this information. What I did not anticipate was the length of time and effort it would take to fulfill this endeavor. The generous support and contributions from so many kind and knowledgeable people along way are what made this book possible.

Much appreciation goes to Jeanenne Ray, Heather Brosius, and to Shannon Vargo at Wiley for their interest and belief in this book and for lending their extensive expertise. Many thanks also to the greater Wiley staff and in particular, Deborah Schindlar, Senior Production Editor.

Thank you to the esteemed Ken Wilcox, former CEO and chairman and current chairman emeritus of Silicon Valley Bank, for his support and his belief in the importance of this project. His validation, insights, and guidance were invaluable and inspiring.

Rie Shigematsu Collett: You showed up at exactly the right time with the unique combination of skills and experience that I needed for this complex topic. I am so grateful for your substantive and structural editing, for your international business background, marketing expertise, and sound judgment. Your gracious tenacity, passion, and dedication to this project were integral to propelling it forward while ensuring a high level of quality in our work.

I am profoundly grateful to Michael Penn, who so generously lent his creativity and expertise in a multitude of capacities over many years. Thank you for your motivation on this project from the start, and for your ongoing assistance and ideas.

It was honor to work with the world-class leadership teams and talented people at Cisco Systems for over a decade. The experience was invaluable and proved to be the beginning of the journey I am on now.

My heartfelt thanks go out to many others, including the following individuals who devoted their time reviewing or contributing content, extended a courtesy, or were otherwise supportive of my efforts: Bruce Pickering, Ann Smith, Linda Alepin, Barb Adey, Dr. Paul du Four, Dr. Ray Levitt, Dr. Mei Zhou, Greg Thomas, Judy Jones, Stanley Kwong, Ellen Maxwell, Martin McNealis, Ray Skaff, and Michael Marks.

Special thanks to Ron Hoge, Pinnacle Engines CEO, and Hugo Barra, Xiaomi VP Global, for their insights and permission to base case studies on their respective companies.

I am also appreciative of the encouragement of many friends and supporters along the way, too numerous to mention and whose omission is unintentional.

To my family, and especially to my father, who told me to go for my dreams, to keep at it and to never give up—thank you.