The US has been an established and time-tested platform for churning out businesses. All the reasons others have mentioned including culture, deregulation, etc may play a part but to me, it is the post-war head-start and momentum of continued success that has kept other countries from reigning supreme. Countries are constantly losing top talent to the U.S. because we have the money/opportunities to attract them and these countries lose out on any potential successes. Who knows, this could all change if it hasn't already.
Ask HN: Why is the US the center of the tech industry?
91–94 of 94 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why is the US the center of the tech industry?
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
America attracts innovators. They do it in America because they can’t do it at home. Whether it’s true or not, for immigrants, there’s a sense that upward mobility is possible in America. There was an old episode of Top Gear where Clarkson was driving around an exotic car in America. He noted that Americans were super excited about the car, giving him complements, posing for pictures, saying that one day they’ll own…
That's incredibly depressing to me. If he really talked to a representative cross-section of America, almost all of those optimistic people will never be wealthy enough to afford the car. At least the Brits know where they stand. We're never going to be able to effectively address wealth inequality if every person on the street believes that they're going to be a multimillionaire some day.
You're missing the point.
Americans believe we can and that belief allows the mental and emotional energy to try
No one is guaranteed success. But if you never believe you even could you would be much less inclined to even try.
Re: Ask HN: Why is the US the center of the tech industry?
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's incredibly depressing to me. If he really talked to a representative cross-section of America, almost all of those optimistic people will never be wealthy enough to afford the car. At least the Brits know where they stand. We're never going to be able to effectively address wealth inequality if every person on the street believes that they're going to be a multimillionaire some day.
You're missing the point. Americans believe we can and that belief allows the mental and emotional energy to try No one is guaranteed success. But if you never believe you even could you would be much less inclined to even try.
I'm sorry, but I would call that false hope.
Re: Ask HN: Why is the US the center of the tech industry?
#94Because of the dominance of the US millitary coincided with the development of the microchip.