Silicon Valley's startup culture is eerily reminiscent of 19th century Europe... "We're more successful than everyone else, so our culture must be superior to e

Silicon Valley's startup culture is eerily reminiscent of 19th century Europe... "We're more successful than everyone else, so our culture must be superior to everyone else's culture." This completely discounts all the other factors that led to localized success. Silicon Valley is a successful environment for startups because it has many unique advantages that have nothing to do with working harder - see pg's numerous essays on the subject. "Hard work" (defined as long hours and obsessive focus) is not the key ingredient, because people work hard everywhere. I watch people do startup-like hours in the sluggish old enterprises that baffle startup folks. Concentration of money and experience? That matters. Think about the utility function of hours worked. What's the relative productivity of the 50th hour of work this week, compared to the 10th? At what point does exhaustion and overfocus actually hurt rather than help productivity? It may be earlier than you think. If I'm only 20% as productive on the least pleasant working hours, why am I even doing that to myself and the people who love me? Work is a marathon, not a sprint. If you sprint in the middle of a marathon, you'll get a slower time overall, because you're draining too much energy. Likewise, an all-nighter or two of coding will hurt you for days afterward. Work smarter, not harder. People who brag about how smart they are should understand this.