SV Kryptonite: Chasing Unicorns
What are the unintended consequences from Silicon Valley’s tech excellence
Overview
Recently there has been a lot of negative press related to the culture in the valley. Having gone to grad school in the bay area I know this isn’t due to the people in the bay intentionally trying to cause problems. My belief is that we are facing a great experiment of what happens when people are stressed and there isn’t a release valve. Everyone in the valley is looking to join the next Unicorn to get ahead and be the next “it” thing. This is inflating the stress quotient in the valley and there isn’t a hack to solve it (sorry).
Stats on SV Insanity
Silicon Valley metrics look super crazy from the outside and make you wonder the mental health of the valley and whether “chasing unicorns” is the kryptonite that will crush the system.
The valley is known for long work days. Why did Google bring in food and games? It was to provide release of stress and so people wouldn’t leave the office.
The search for the unicorn also results in short tenure of employees. Individuals are flipping companies quickly to try and jump the ladder.
If you want to ride a unicorn the Silicon Valley is the best place to be.
On top of long work hours, the valley has the longest average commute times. It might just be me, but more time in the car adds a lot of stress.
Average home price has topped $1mm. How can you afford this living if you aren’t riding a unicorn?
Stress Rising = Social Explosions
Given all of the above there is likely a widespread rise in stress throughout the valley due to rising costs, FOMO and limited free time. In this article from Pop Sugar calls out behaviors of individuals that are stressed.
- Constantly Vent
- Obsess over things they can’t change
- Eat Unhealthy Foods
- Get overwhelmed Easily
- Don’t Exercise
- Rush through life
- Use drugs to cope
All of these behaviors could easily lead to a “bro culture” where people don’t respect each other and fosters negativity.
How should people handle stress
It is surprising how we are not taught how to deal with stress. There are so many things we are taught in school that we never use again, but stress management is a life skill.
My go to to relieve stress is ensure I get enough sleep and exercise outdoors (ideally via trail running, hiking, skiing, biking). In the bay area with traffic insanity is hard to get out of the city to exercise and let nature provide calm.
The list below layers on a few more approaches:
- They accept that stress is part of life.
- They keep problems in proper perspective.
- They take care of their physical health.
- They choose healthy coping skills.
- They balance social activity with solitude.
- They acknowledge their choices.
- They look for the positive.
Finally, it should be no surprise that one of the top apps in the App Store is Headspace. This app is all about mindfulness and quick, simple ways to get there. Unfortunately, the reality is to deal with stress requires more than an app or some biohacking.
