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Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

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Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#241

Post by Ericson2314 »

kory wrote: post #236
helen___keller wrote: post #197

There are countless takes on this, but I'll add one more: Silicon Valley's failure is in being unable to diversify effectively from a failure in city-building. For a good stretch, the bay area was the place to be. Lots of people wanted to be there, whether or not they were engineers. The cost of living made these ambitions completely unreasonable, except for the well compensated engineers. Monoculturalism is a failur…

I think a big challenge here is single family housing with a yard is by far the most desirable housing in the US. I doubt folks would accept a significantly more dense living if they were the engineers of tomorrow. They’d expect the single family home and yard for their work. Where in the USA is this not a challenge? Single family zoning is everywhere and existing residents in most American cities have little reason…

I don't think this is all democratic will. The legal and government structures we have that enable the NIMBYism undermine democracy. Yes, single family homes are the greater meme, but I'm convinced if we actually built the density we need (building and public transit) it would be prosperous and people wouldn't flee it.

Simply put, the fact that prices go up in densest parts of SF and NYC basically confirms that there's people that enough people want real cities to bootstrap the process.

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#242

Post by 6gvONxR4sf7o »

nmfisher wrote: post #76
ping_pong wrote: post #5

Im so tired of random writers, even if it's O'Reilly himself, trying to predict that Silicon Valley is doomed. That's like saying Hollywood is doomed, or Wall Street is doomed. I've been around long enough to know that nothing will unseat Silicon Valley as the tech capital of the world. Silicon Valley has the critical mass of talent, VC money and greed that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. There's a re…

> There's a reason why we have never seen a world leading tech company come out from anywhere except the US. Probably the most ignorant comment I've ever seen on HN.

I agree completely with what you mean, but this was an unnecessary, extremely insulting way to say it.

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#243

Post by 6gvONxR4sf7o »

keenreed wrote: post #65
ping_pong wrote: post #5

Im so tired of random writers, even if it's O'Reilly himself, trying to predict that Silicon Valley is doomed. That's like saying Hollywood is doomed, or Wall Street is doomed. I've been around long enough to know that nothing will unseat Silicon Valley as the tech capital of the world. Silicon Valley has the critical mass of talent, VC money and greed that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. There's a re…

》But as long as more immigrants from other countries come to Silicon Valley because they've heard about how rich people come Why should I come to SV? Living standard, taxes, workforce cost, housing... I may get $5m funding, but that would only buy an office and couple of employees for a few years. And if I ever make it, VC and California taxes would eat 90% of my profit. And do not even let me start on family and chi…

> Buying $3m house, so homeless guy can expose himself in front of my daughter... :(

You’re talking about a few limited neighborhoods out of an entire metropolitan area.

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#244

Post by 6gvONxR4sf7o »

fancyfish wrote: post #160
ping_pong wrote: post #5

Im so tired of random writers, even if it's O'Reilly himself, trying to predict that Silicon Valley is doomed. That's like saying Hollywood is doomed, or Wall Street is doomed. I've been around long enough to know that nothing will unseat Silicon Valley as the tech capital of the world. Silicon Valley has the critical mass of talent, VC money and greed that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. There's a re…

I love this take. It’s true, after the rise of modern tech post-2008, the top talent got rich off RSUs and lost their greediness. Greed made this industry what it is, in every innovation cycle (hardware, software, dotcom, mobile). We need a return to greed and a rise in hunger and competitiveness, which creates innovation. Too many talented individuals resting on their laurels cashing RSUs instead of starting a compa…

I think it’s a massive success that tech has been able to share as much of its profits with its workers, and I think that’s because of stock comp creating a race to the top with wage growth. We need more of that, not less.

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#245

Post by azinman2 »

What I don’t understand about the article is saying that SV is doomed because other areas are likely to be so huge is to ignore that there are already so many other areas of the economy even during SV’s growth. True FAANG grew at incredible rates over the past decade. It’s unclear that’ll slow down at all as software and computerization continues its current path. But all these biotech / green economy jobs it talks about will still run on software and microchips... in R&D, manufacturing, logistics, etc. Why can’t this be an AND versus an XOR? The article also implies there’s no biotech in SV - the Bay Area is home to many world leading biotech companies. Yes there are other gravitational pulls in SD, Boston, NJ (and I’m sure others internationally), but it’s not like that mix doesn’t exist here. And once the green economy starts really going, why wouldn’t there be places for new companies for follow in SV?

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#246

Post by 6gvONxR4sf7o »

I really wish I believed this article more, but it strikes me as too optimistic :( It says a bunch of changes are coming that I wish were coming, but don’t believe we’ll get soon. Weird to come away from a “SV will die” article with that feeling.

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#247

Post by nmfisher »

6gvONxR4sf7o wrote: post #242
nmfisher wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's a reason why we have never seen a world leading tech company come out from anywhere except the US. Probably the most ignorant comment I've ever seen on HN.

I agree completely with what you mean, but this was an unnecessary, extremely insulting way to say it.

What the OP wrote is considerably more offensive than what I responded with (and I also was originally going to respond with something FAR less polite, but decided against it).

Sugarcoating it any more would just dilute the message. I stand by what I said.

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#248

Post by tjr225 »

helen___keller wrote: post #197

There are countless takes on this, but I'll add one more: Silicon Valley's failure is in being unable to diversify effectively from a failure in city-building. For a good stretch, the bay area was the place to be. Lots of people wanted to be there, whether or not they were engineers. The cost of living made these ambitions completely unreasonable, except for the well compensated engineers. Monoculturalism is a failur…

People have been saying SV will be the next Detroit on HN for the past 5 years.

I think this might be more of a wish than based in any sort of reality. Perhaps if it _does_ go the way of Detroit then I can afford to move there!

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#249

Post by baby »

onethought wrote: post #131
baby wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was in both BJ and Taipei and I didn’t see that. BJ has Chinese players for sure, but that’s it, while Taipei still feels like a small player that’s comparable to berlin / chiangmai

Taiwan home to TMSC (amoung others) currently (with apples help admittedly) putting intel to shame. Edit: Looking for Tech in PK is like looking for tech in D.C China’s “bay area” is in Guangdong in the GZ, SZ, DS triangle.

It’s still going to be Chinese heavy (assuming you said ShenZhen and not SuZhou)

Re: Other challenges to SV’s preeminence are more fundamental than the tech diaspora

#250

Post by baby »

astrange wrote: post #135
baby wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who cares if your investors are from sv but you’re based elsewhere?

The investors care. Traditionally they wouldn't fund anyone who wasn't in easy reach. It's also easier to hire employees since they're all in SV.

Employees are all in SV? What?
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