★ “The Problem With Silicon Valley Is Itself”

TNW:

One of the reasons for lack of innovation in the Valley is that entrepreneurs are not exposed to enough real-world problems. It’s all relative of course, but the problems facing well-educated young people in San Francisco are certainly different from that of entrepreneurs in emerging markets. I can’t blame the entrepreneur too much though, I suppose it’s the traditional model of supply and demand; consumers in the USA clearly want to play Angry Birds, whereas in some African countries consumers are more likely to be searching for their nearest Malaria drugs clinic.

Every government in the world is trying to recreate what is going on in the Valley as they see it as a way out of the global recession and into job creation. Tech hubs are springing up all over the world in places you wouldn’t even imagine. Combine that with the fact that many entrepreneurs can’t get to the US because of visa issues (the Startup Visa Act could take another couple of years before it passes through both the House and the Senate) and you’ve got a recipe for startups that are solving real world-problems, outside of Silicon Valley.

The greatest lesson I learned upon moving to San Francisco and leaving San Francisco is that people outside of the valley don’t understand what they themselves need from technology. They have no idea how technology is going to solve their problems. This also means that the geniuses in the valley also are just as clueless because they themselves don’t have the same issues as people outside of the valley. It’s why most valley ideas only affect six figures earners who are highly mobile. Not everyone has a smartphone or travels or needs a place to crash in NYC or needs to know where their friends are or wants to know how long the line is at the hottest new SoMa restaurant. Most people get up, go to their blue-collar job (or don’t because they can’t find work) and then go home to watch lame TV.

That’s the average American and the disconnect is even higher in emerging markets. The problem with living in and outside of San Francisco is, in both places, I still had no idea how technology was going to make my life better. I’m always too disconnected.