Bill Nguyen wants to par-tee. After taking his software outfit, ven, through three of the toughest years in high-technology history, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur recently hired a well-known band, an expensive music hall and a whole lot of food and drink, paying $40,000 of his own money for the pleasure. "Six months ago it would have been paper cups and trail mix," says Nguyen, 32, who made more than $100 million in the last boom. "I'm just not going to hold back anymore." He told his 85 employees that if they can increase Seven's revenues by 40% this year, he'll fly them to Hawaii's Ritz-Carlton for a week. Bubbly is breaking out all over high tech's heartland. Buoyed by a booming Nasdaq, signs of increased corporate spending and sheer boredom with being gloomy, Silicon Valley is coming back.
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