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Wow. No. This article seems to completely ignore what makes the valley the epicenter of tech, and instead posits things that have very little impact as being ga

Wow. No. This article seems to completely ignore what makes the valley the epicenter of tech, and instead posits things that have very little impact as being game changers. Car-driven societies aren't social? Silicon Valley startups would do well to act like New York ones? Which would those be? Hand-waving does not a hotbed of innovation make. It'll take more than bullshit to make NYC into the Bay Area. I'll pay attention when they have top tech universities and a culture friendly to innovation and entrepreneurship rather than big money.

tristan_louis 16y ago
So what makes the valley the epicenter of tech: talent and the ability to attract more talent (at the end of the day, that's what makes a place the epicenter of anything). On the first, the valley does have an advantage today. On the second point, that's changing, thus creating a potential issue. That's addressed in this entry (http://www.tnl.net/blog/2011/01/08/silicon-valley-vs-new-york-talent/ http://www.tnl.net/blog/2011/01/08/silicon-valley-vs-new-yor...) : There is also a virtuous circle to the rise of New York turning it into an ever more attractive place for members of the tech field. As Fred Wilson recently pointed out: If you are a 22 year old man or woman just starting out in life, would you rather live in suburbia and work on a campus or would you rather live in Williamsburg and work in Flatiron? So the more successful the city becomes as a tech center, the more attractive it becomes to people who want to help it become more successful as a tech center. The quality of life element is going to be an important challenge the valley will have to change if they want to survive the New York onslaught.
- redthrowaway 16y ago
  Williamsburg isn't particularly appealing to nerds, if only because we tend to dislike hipsters. Most of us don't really care where we live if what we're doing is building something new. To be honest, we probably won't go outside much. Having a house where you can all work together is perfect in this regard.
  - tristan_louis 16y ago
    There is a valuable argument to rooming together (though that's the case for a lot of people in New York too). The difference is that in New York, you may also be more likely to room with someone who's not a geek. And if you don't get out (though you're bound to if for no other reason than to go and get basic substenance like food), that person could bring some influences that may help you code something new from a social standpoint. And while it's true that Williamsburg isn't very appealing to geeks, I can warrant that other parts of town are (eg. DUMBO)
    - redthrowaway 16y ago
      None of the benefits you claim come from living in NYC are any different from those you get from going to college. Look at Reddit: a geek and a front man lived across from eachother and bonded over video games. Would Reddit have been successful without Ohanian? Probably not. Did they need to be in Williamsburg to figure out their concept? No.

tristan_louis 16y ago

So what makes the valley the epicenter of tech: talent and the ability to attract more talent (at the end of the day, that's what makes a place the epicenter of anything). On the first, the valley does have an advantage today. On the second point, that's changing, thus creating a potential issue. That's addressed in this entry (http://www.tnl.net/blog/2011/01/08/silicon-valley-vs-new-york-talent/ http://www.tnl.net/blog/2011/01/08/silicon-valley-vs-new-yor...) : There is also a virtuous circle to the rise of New York turning it into an ever more attractive place for members of the tech field. As Fred Wilson recently pointed out: If you are a 22 year old man or woman just starting out in life, would you rather live in suburbia and work on a campus or would you rather live in Williamsburg and work in Flatiron? So the more successful the city becomes as a tech center, the more attractive it becomes to people who want to help it become more successful as a tech center. The quality of life element is going to be an important challenge the valley will have to change if they want to survive the New York onslaught.

redthrowaway 16y ago
Williamsburg isn't particularly appealing to nerds, if only because we tend to dislike hipsters. Most of us don't really care where we live if what we're doing is building something new. To be honest, we probably won't go outside much. Having a house where you can all work together is perfect in this regard.
- tristan_louis 16y ago
  There is a valuable argument to rooming together (though that's the case for a lot of people in New York too). The difference is that in New York, you may also be more likely to room with someone who's not a geek. And if you don't get out (though you're bound to if for no other reason than to go and get basic substenance like food), that person could bring some influences that may help you code something new from a social standpoint. And while it's true that Williamsburg isn't very appealing to geeks, I can warrant that other parts of town are (eg. DUMBO)
  - redthrowaway 16y ago
    None of the benefits you claim come from living in NYC are any different from those you get from going to college. Look at Reddit: a geek and a front man lived across from eachother and bonded over video games. Would Reddit have been successful without Ohanian? Probably not. Did they need to be in Williamsburg to figure out their concept? No.