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Brain drain problem? What, all the entrepreneurs are moving to India and I didn't hear about it? ;-) The US may be "hostile" to newcomers -- you're right, we d

by sabat 17y ago

Brain drain problem? What, all the entrepreneurs are moving to India and I didn't hear about it? ;-) The US may be "hostile" to newcomers -- you're right, we do have stupid patent laws and some of the business taxes can seem ridiculous -- but then again, most countries have stupid patent laws (see the WIPO) and many many countries tax business at much more aggressive rates. Even more importantly, if we're talking about technology: Silicon Valley has never been replicated full-scale. Yes, there are pockets. But what draws people to Northern California -- aside from the unique culture, natural beauty, and the weather -- is that there has been an innovation pow-wow going on since Hewlett and Packard took to the garage. People want in on that, especially if they're into innovation themselves. There are more startups starting up right now, especially here in CA, than I've seen in years. Not all will innovate, but many will, and at least some of that innovation will stick and maybe even change the world. No innovation? Really? Has this guy seen the frickin' iPod? Oh, and heard of Twitter? (Just to name some easy examples.)

Groxx 17y ago
The startups recently are probably partly due to the decline, and the projected improvement. People with money can capitalize on cheap locations to do what they want, because the people who don't have money are gone. And they're not all moving to one place, and of course there's evidence both ways, but smart people typically want to educate their kids well. Our schools have been slipping a lot for quite a while. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is catching up rapidly for the first time in who knows how long. How much you equate to coincidence and how much to causes A-ZZ varies by person, of course, but I really do think this is part of it.
- sabat 17y ago
  The startups recently are probably partly due to the decline, and the projected improvement. People with money can capitalize on cheap locations to do what they want Spot on. Also, they want to take advantage of the downturn -- history has shown that if you make a successful startup in a downturn, when the economy comes back, it brings the company with it. Google's an example.
- anamax 17y ago
  > And they're not all moving to one place, and of course there's evidence both ways, but smart people typically want to educate their kids well. Our schools have been slipping a lot for quite a while. What definition of "our" are we using? Are Palo Alto's public schools slipping? Are the private schools in the valley slipping? Or, are you talking about universities? How many countries have 4 schools that would be considered top 50 in the US? How about 10?

by sabat 17y ago

Groxx 17y ago

The startups recently are probably partly due to the decline, and the projected improvement. People with money can capitalize on cheap locations to do what they want, because the people who don't have money are gone. And they're not all moving to one place, and of course there's evidence both ways, but smart people typically want to educate their kids well. Our schools have been slipping a lot for quite a while. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is catching up rapidly for the first time in who knows how long. How much you equate to coincidence and how much to causes A-ZZ varies by person, of course, but I really do think this is part of it.

sabat 17y ago
The startups recently are probably partly due to the decline, and the projected improvement. People with money can capitalize on cheap locations to do what they want Spot on. Also, they want to take advantage of the downturn -- history has shown that if you make a successful startup in a downturn, when the economy comes back, it brings the company with it. Google's an example.
anamax 17y ago
> And they're not all moving to one place, and of course there's evidence both ways, but smart people typically want to educate their kids well. Our schools have been slipping a lot for quite a while. What definition of "our" are we using? Are Palo Alto's public schools slipping? Are the private schools in the valley slipping? Or, are you talking about universities? How many countries have 4 schools that would be considered top 50 in the US? How about 10?