A few years ago Paul Graham (now with Y Combinator) wrote some pieces about Silicon Valley and whether it could be reproduced elsewhere, and pointed out some of the things that make the Valley what it is. When it comes down to it, though, he rightly says its about people. The right people. Specifically, rich people (aka investors) and nerds. And specifically young nerds who are attracted to the universities, the environment, the lifestyle, the buzz and the general nuttiness. Even the investors don't want them to be somewhere else - Valley investors want them here, close by where they can reach and meet them at any time.
This struck me again today at a visit to Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale. To be successful, a huge number of startups from outside the Valley - from Europe and Asia - are trying to establish roots here because they know if they want to take the tech world by storm they have to be here. Many of them set up at Plug and Play, and there are many more that set up somewhere else in the Valley. To me this is a huge thing - despite the recession, despite the economy, THIS IS WHERE TECH PEOPLE WANT TO BE!
There are, of course, a lot worse places to be. ORC Worldwide and Business Week just last week published a study on the World's 50 Worst Places to Work, "based on a set of criteria that includes levels of pollution, disease, political violence, and availability of goods and services". I don't necessarily agree with the list, but I am pleased that some I think of as terrific places to work (Prague, for example) are no longer on the list. Anyway, here are the top 10 worst places and if you're in the Valley then be glad you're here. I am!
The worst: Lagos, Nigeria
2. Jakarta, Indonesia
3. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4. Almaty, Kazakhstan
5. Mumbai, India
6. New Delhi, India
7. Nairobi, Kenya
8. Bogota, Colombia
9. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
10. Chennai, India.
.... and a bunch more Chinese and Indian cities follow.
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