Stable not the best word, apologies. Life stability was in my mind. - stable health insurance and medical coverage. - economy big & stable enough that when on

Stable not the best word, apologies. Life stability was in my mind. - stable health insurance and medical coverage. - economy big & stable enough that when one job is lost, another can be found without substantial financial injury. - geographically dense and large network of innovative people (this requires a good university - or two). Essentially you need a place where you can take risks and fail without causing a total life crisis. that is why SV started as a thing: fruit farms with cheap land. Universities were nearby and the Cold War was in full force: a lot of funding was present. The interaction of knowledgeable people is a huge support base for increased research and innovation.