Vanguard technology, a bold mood and young students who turn into millionaires overnight: myth and reality in the narrow strip that runs from San Francisco to San José, California, in the United States.

What's the secret of this region that tops the most rigorous rankings of entrepreneurial activity in relation to population and the lists that measure the rate of returns on start-ups? What makes it so special? What are the particular traits of this technological and entrepreneurial paradise known as Silicon Valley? In this article, entrepreneurs, a few CEOs and historians respond to these questions.

Eric Hippeau was the king of the technological publishing industry in Brazil. He eventually became the CEO of Ziff Davis, and in selling it to SoftBank, became acquainted with the world of investment in the Internet. Today, he provides support to start-ups and is the head of Lerer Ventures, which operates throughout the region.

A musician who orchestrated the creation of four bands, Santaolalla dreamed of being a producer and founded a record label with rules of its own. He discovered and exported talent from Latin America to the rest of the world, releasing over 100 albums, selling over 10 million copies, and 16 Grammy’s in his possession.

His name began to be recognized by the most prestigious producers in Hollywood and, almost without looking for it, he began to produce the music for acclaimed directors such as Ang Lee, the Brazilian Walter Salles, and Mexican Alejandro González Iñárritu. The result? Even more awards: two consecutive Oscars, a Golden Globe, and three awards from the British Academy of Film and Television, among others.

He currently charges over US$ 450,000 to compose the soundtrack of a film.

Extracted from the magazine WOBI Vol.18N2

An essential part of work is taking the time to recharge your battery to reboot, particularly if you have recently started a new venture that has left you with little battery power mid-2013. Aside from breaking from the normal scheme of 9am-5pm in the office, there are thousands of travel options all over the world that allow you to reconnect with your creative spirit. In the following, discover our top 4 ranking of the best journeys to take in order to recharge and come back to work better than ever.

Viapool generates millions in savings on transportation and carbon emissions for the companies and their employees who make use of their carpooling commuter services. Today the company is billing US$ 481,000 and has 40 corporate clients representing 30,000 users, among which are Unilever, Quilmes, Carrefour, Kraft, Nobleza Piccardo, La Nación, SAP and Manuel Tienda León. It manages about 250,000 trips for a total of 40 million kilometers, representing costs of some US$ 6 million a year.

Extracted from WOBI magazine, V18N1

The founders of the fly fishing social network, Fly Dreamers, turned their passion into a thriving business thanks to a million dollar investment.

Extracted from WOBI Magazine (V18N1)

Who doesn’t dream of giving up the office life and turning a hobby into a business? The Argentines Luis San Miguel and Nicolás Schwint have already made that dream a reality. Fervent fly fishermen themselves—they met when they were just 11 years old with a fishing pole in hand—they abandoned their 9-5s in order to found the social network Fly Dreamers, a business that has already captured the attention of investors as well as 24,000 members in just a year of existence.

To put it lightly, we were all probably surprised (and why not admit it, pretty scared) by the fact that a meteorite that was 55 feet wide and weighing 10,000 tons made land fall in Russia this past February 15, leaving over 1,000 people injured. This was just hours before it was announced that asteroid 2012 DA14 passed “close” to plant Earth, just 27,520 km away. Just when we thought we had gotten over the Mayan prophesized apocalypse this past December, anxiety returned but was placated when NASA quickly dismissed the idea that the two were related.

In this context, we can’t help but consider those entrepreneurs audacious enough to be able to see an opportunity thousands of miles long…literally. It just so happens that such an event has called the attention of certain risk-seeking entrepreneurs that have decided to take this occurrence one step further: mining asteroids. Discover in the following what this initiative is all about, who are benefitting, and the startups (including a star from the movie industry) that are betting their money on its success.

It seems like a risky venture: giving up a job as Editor-in-Chief of one of the world’s most internationally celebrated technology magazines to head a drone (an unmanned aerial vehicle) company that doesn’t even have a website yet. However that is precisely the gamble that Chris Anderson took last November 2012, as he announced his stepping down at Wired Magazine in order to run 3D Robotics, a San-Diego based company that makes autopilot technology and small aircraft planes for civilians.

Why did Anderson make the move, and what exciting implications does his story have for entrepreneurs all over the world? In the following discover what World Innovation Forum León and World Business Forum Milan speaker Chris Anderson believes to be the next big thing.

What even is an incubator? Surely you’ve heard a success story of a company launched to success thanks to the help of an incubator. But what are they and what do they really do?

The concept of the incubator was established in the U.S. in the ‘50s by Joseph Mancuso. Mancuso’s family bought Massey-Ferguson, the largest industry in Batavia, New York that closed down in 1956.  They planned to take on the issue of mass unemployment left by the company’s closure, beginning the business in the same building. In this flourishing space coexisted everything from wine shops to chicken companies: and that is where the name incubator came from, from the concept that an idea could be incubated until it converts into a profitable business.

Long before the brassy “dun nuh nuuuh, dun nuh nuuuh”’s as we watched Rocky run, jump, sweat, and punch to victory, music has been used by individuals and teams to get pumped up and overcome barriers. And as anyone who has ever dabbled in entrepreneurship would concur, starting your own venture is one of the highest forms of competition that exists. Not only do you battle the competition, you also struggle with your own self: ideas, unexpected curve balls, strategy, execution, and of course the will to convince the rest that your enterprise is worth investing in at the end of the day.

For all of you entrepreneurs out there who are in desperate need of a Rocky soundtrack kind of moment, in the following find my own top five personal picks for the best songs for entrepreneurs to get pumped up, motivated, and get moving. Enjoy and happy Friday!