Barry Schuler
Aug 31, 2018 · 1 min read

If you think about Silicon Valley as real estate only then this all makes sense. But that idea is very dated. Silicon Valley long ago evolved from a geo-based concept to a zeitgeist defined by fearless innovation (for better or worse) and an ecosystem which supports it. As a Silicon Valley based VC, we could care less where bold ideas are born. We follow great ideas anywhere. Is SpaceX which is headquartered in Hawthorne, CA not representative of the Silicon Valley ideal? Or Formlabs, the leading desktop 3D printing company based in Somerville, MA? Amazon? Microsoft?

The broader issue, which this article skirts, is the consolidation of power by the growing tech giants. Where scale plus network effect combine to create barriers to competition. Still, I’d bet on a nimble startup with a powerful idea that is meaningful to run rings around the giants. The real corrosion of Silicon Valley is the explosion of startups chasing and receiving funding for ideas which are of little or no value. Gold rush mentality. That’s the concern and it too is geo-agnostic.

Every burgeoning innovation center in the USA proclaims itself as “The Silicon Valley of N.” Bravo! The more the merrier. It’s the (meaningful) innovation stupid.

    Barry Schuler

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    VC DFJ Growth Fund, , Hopeless Geek, compulsive maker, Foodie, Vintner @MeteorVineyard, Education Warrior, Film&TV Producer