Most of the founders of successful Bay Area startups are not "locals", but first generation "immigrants" from other parts of the US/world. Very true. When I st

Most of the founders of successful Bay Area startups are not "locals", but first generation "immigrants" from other parts of the US/world. Very true. When I started representing startups in the Valley in the mid-80's, the overwhelming majority of the founders were "locals." Since 2000 at least, this pattern has decidedly shifted, at least for the companies I represent (with a clear majority now being either immigrants or from first-generation immigrant families, many from India). There is also a decided international emphasis today in terms of Valley companies using resources (people, investment sources, etc.) not at all centered in the Valley as they used to be. The Valley connection does remain important in many key ways, however, as noted in the post - in my judgment, it is still by far the best place to be for a significant number of startups. A good, balanced post on this issue.