This is absolutely an underappreciated feature of SV, and prior to this article I had also heard it held up as one of the reasons SV has a relatively more activ

This is absolutely an underappreciated feature of SV, and prior to this article I had also heard it held up as one of the reasons SV has a relatively more active and larger startup environment than Boston. Given the nature of startups and the surprisingly high turnover I've seen of people coming and going at all sorts of companies, it seems impossible to me to create a vibrant, innovative economy with strong non-competes. This is particularly true because the most powerful non-competes are signed by the most senior management, so those with the most experience and best view of a sector are the least able to start something new after leaving their previous gig.