We’ve all heard of Silicon Valley but have entrepreneurs in the US heard of Cambridge and its spewing forth of start-ups?
Apparently not. I was amazed to read this blog - actually posted back in October last year - by Paul Graham, techie person who is working on a book about start-ups. He talks about London as if it is the start-up capital of the UK.
He also says:
If, as nearly everyone who knows agrees, startups are better off in Silicon Valley than Boston, then they're better off in Silicon Valley than everywhere else too.
When he says ‘better off’, I think he means in a purely business sense rather than noting that perhaps some people in a start-up in, say Cambridge, may prefer to be there because that is where their friends, families, culture and lives are. Come to think of it, this may not always be such a big concern for technologically-minded carbon-based lifeforms.
But what would Silicon Valley be like if every tech start-up on the planet believed Paul’s statement repeated above and subsequently did move there? It would get quite crowded of course. A better idea perhaps is that a suitable island could be found and acquired. From this island-base tech start-up clustering could reach new heights of creative and money-making frenzy.
Well, OK it’s a silly idea but the point surely is that without diversity of environment and culture you may not get diversity of thought.