Penelop Truck wrote that Starting a company in the Silicon Valley is stupid. It is such a controversial and provocative title that it got a lot of attention.
I went to high school and college in the bay area. I worked in high tech companies in the Silicon Valley for over a decade. But, seven years ago, I made the decision to move away from the Silicon Valley. I’m now living in the Pacific Northwest.
I miss a lot of people and things in the Silicon Valley. But, I also enjoy my current living and working environments. It’s simply more affordable and provides higher quality of life.
Suffice to say, I have a love-and-hate relationship with the Silicon Valley. 
I would like to share with you my thoughts on the pluses and minuses of Silicon Valley, and whether starting a company in Silicon Valley is stupid.
What I miss about Silicon Valley
- my extended family, friends, and classmates
- attend Cal football and basketball games
- talking to ambitious, driven, smart, and creative entrepreneurs. There are probably more entrepreneurs per square foot in the Silicon Valley than anywhere else. It’s an infectious entrepreneurial environment you cannot find anywhere else.
- professional networking events. I live in another high tech hub now. But, the amount of high tech networking events in my area pale in comparison to th events in the Silicon Valley.
- career opportunities. There are significantly more career opportunities in the Silicon Valley for anyone who works in high tech. From large, publically traded companies to start-ups, you’ll find many more opportunities in the valley. From a purely career opportunity standpoint, Silicon Valley is much better than where I’m living now.
- the start-up culture — I completely agree with SmoothSpan Blog that "the cultural value, the total gestalt of startup immersion, is even more valuable."
What I don’t miss about Silicon Valley
- VC worshippers. Venture Capitalists play a very important role in the start-up ecosystems. But, I know a lot of people who simply worship VCs.
- intense pressure and mentality of "making it big and then retire"
- high housing price
- countless strip malls and office parks in the Silicon Valley — I might offend someone here, but I find Silicon Valley to be boring and soulless socially and culturally.
- long commute on 101, 880, or 280
- single scene in the Silicon Valley. I’m happily married. But, I still have a lot of single friends who live in the Silicon Valley. It’s depressing.
Is it stupid to start a company in Silicon Valley? I think it depends on your goal for starting the company, and the type of company you’re starting.
If your goal is to follow the footsteps of "classic Silicon Valley successes" — i.e. revolutionary technology, big bet, VC funding, etc. — you should start your company in Silicon Valley.
However, if your goal is to start a "life style" business that you hope to provide for your family while enjoy being your own boss and achieving work/life balance, then I think you’re probably better off to start the company outside Silicon Valley.
Update: 3/25/2009: Scobleizer just had a related post on this topic: “Is California setup for a brain drain?”
Add New Comment
Viewing 4 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks
(Trackback URL)