Giacomo Marini represents one of the cornerstones of the Italian-American entrepreneurial community in the Bay Area.

Co-founder of Logitech, then turned venture capitalist, he’s been in Silicon Valley since 1982. During those decades in the tranches of Silicon Valley (so to speak…) Giacomo has witnessed first hand some of the major tech revolutions that have changed everyone’s life. From the era of semiconductors and micro-processors, to the invention of the mouse, to meeting Steve Jobs and the likes: Giacomo could be without doubts featured in the “Silicon Valley” TV series.

In our Mind-the-Chat, Giacomo shares some of the pivotal moments he experienced in his long career and his view for the future.

Timeline

1.42 Coming to Silicon Valley 1982
2.35 1981 Logitech started as a consulting company, between Switzerland and Palo Alto w/ Daniel Borel and Pierluigi Zappacosta
5.00 First office: 155 University Avenue (later home of PayPal, Google) by Saeed Omidi (then founder of Plug & Play)
7.27 Success vs Survival: change of mindset
8.41 Finally “marrying the mouse” in 1984 as the core business
9.07 What’s the world like in SV in 1982
12.20: Olivetti Research Center role in Silicon Valley – testing facility of semiconductors
15.11 The launch of Olivetti M24 1982 with Logitech mouse
17:48 When we met Steve Jobs
18: 54 When SRI asked to pay royalties on mouse
20: 24 Going public with $40M revenue and a mezzanine round from a Japanese CVC
22.27 My only regret: digital photography
26:16 The role of M&A @ Logitech
29:04 With De Benedetti and CIRLab incubator
34:35 The opportunities of todays’ market