Secrets of Silicon Valley
What Everyone Else Can Learn from the Innovation Capital of the World
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- £8.99
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- £8.99
Publisher Description
While the global economy languishes, one place just keeps growing despite failing banks, uncertain markets, and high unemployment: Silicon Valley. In the last two years, more than 100 incubators have popped up there, and the number of angel investors has skyrocketed. Today, 40 percent of all venture capital investments in the United States come from Silicon Valley firms, compared to 10 percent from New York. In Secrets of Silicon Valley, entrepreneur and media commentator Deborah Perry Piscione takes us inside this vibrant ecosystem where meritocracy rules the day. She explores Silicon Valley's exceptionally risk-tolerant culture, and why it thrives despite the many laws that make California one of the worst states in the union for business. Drawing on interviews with investors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, as well as a host of case studies from Google to Paypal, Piscione argues that Silicon Valley's unique culture is the best hope for the future of American prosperity and the global business community and offers lessons from the Valley to inspire reform in other communities and industries, from Washington, DC to Wall Street.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Piscione (Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take on the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face), a former congressional and White House staffer, lobbyist, and political commentator, moved from Washington, D.C. to Silicon Valley, she experienced culture shock. Not only did she find the area welcoming, she discovered that Silicon Valley had a very distinct mindset characterized by networking, innovation, and an inimitable comfort with risk. She quickly assimilated, raising capital and launching three successful start-ups in six years. Piscione's latest is less about how to get funding and succeed as an entrepreneur than it is about understanding how Silicon Valley ticks: the history of the area, including Stanford University's profound influence on both technology and innovation, as well as profiles of industry leaders. The book succeeds in its mission to illustrate how Silicon Valley's history and mindset have created an environment for success. Unfortunately, it is overly ambitious in its reach and toward the end borders on being a relocation guide, with several chapters discussing services like schools and restaurants, meeting places, and lifestyle. Nonetheless, Piscione offers a bird's-eye view of one of the most exceptional economic ecosystems in the U.S., which is sure to interest entrepreneurs and leaders alike.
