On January 24, 1848 gold was discovered in California. Immediately after, word of the Gold Rush had spread around the world. Prospectors and merchants began to arrive, ushering in the era of the Forty-Niners (49ers). What’s more interesting about the Gold Rush was the attitude and acceptance of these early entrepreneurs toward risk-taking. Their perspective that failure is a prerequisite for success is evident today as you look across Silicon Valley with the multitudes of entrepreneurs striking out on their own and starting something new. In that context, Masahiro (Masa) Kinoshita is a 49er.