Imagine if every cracked engineer in the world converged on Silicon Valley (which, let’s be real, is already happening). Intel would likely leapfrog TSMC. Apple’s phones might actually run cutting-edge AI models locally and boast solid-state batteries. We’d see mobile silicon fabrication units popping up everywhere – and spent units almost as common by the dumpster as discarded 3D printers today. And Tesla’s electric vehicles? They’d probably drive themselves by now.
Engineers in SV follow a modified Lindy effect: is it new, shiny, and barely understood? Perfect; there’s no precedent to hold them back! A VC firm will be clamoring to fund their vision, unable to resist the potential of something that’s never been done before. An engineer with a residence in Santa Clara will be leading the charge shortly.
Linux may not have originated in Silicon Valley (oops), but who cares? The transistor was invented by some East Coasters; big deal! SV engineers are too busy changing the world to worry about petty origins.
Did you buy into the myth that salaries for engineering are high in Silicon Valley because of a captive pool of local employees? Please, it’s because these companies know talent when they see it. These giants aren’t competing for engineers’ attention; they’re fighting to keep up with their innovative ideas.
That translates directly into buying power, obviously. No wonder these extraordinary creators pay more for housing and food—they’re enjoying the most delectable grub and safest real estate in the world. The dynamic has reached a state of perfect harmony, decoupled from tech’s boom/bust cycles. When the economy grows, SV leads the charge!
Should that economic momentum ever slow down (ha!), the local economy will simply adapt and evolve. Tax revenue might dip temporarily, but schools will thrive even more as education becomes a hotbed of innovation itself.
If you live in Silicon Valley as an engineer, your work is pouring directly into the fountain of progress. The sunny years will spin past you, filled with excitement, breakthroughs, and maybe even a few orange skies (just for dramatic effect). Wear a mask on those days.
Are you working hard for a start-up? Your company is a winning lottery ticket bought at a Chevron in Woodside and cherished every day. To any VC, your shares are a precious gem waiting to be polished into a unicorn IPO. They’ll be kept in a locked safe until the fund reaches maturity—then redeemed with fanfare when Lina Khan gives her seal of approval.
What will you have to show for it? A legacy that changes humanity’s trajectory!
The numerous successful products that originated in Silicon Valley can’t even be counted on all fingers and toes: the personal computer, a bicycle for the mind; the search engine; digital payments; the iPhone; lithium-ion electric cars. It’s crystal clear they’ve exponentially increased US GDP.
Do you have an interesting idea? Build it in California’s Long Island—the hub of innovation—where there’s absolutely nothing in the water!
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