I spent a few months there and I think the post touches on a lot of truths. I found the place to be pretty unreal - an idyllic and unique slice of America, both in a good and bad kind of way.
The good part is that there's a lot of energy and optimism there, a great openness to new ideas and a general sense of building the future. I think this is the part that attracts people and allows for new companies to take hold and grow big.
The bad part is expressed as a kind of refusal to engage with the rest of society. The analogy I would make is when one is building a company - the easiest part is to put on some headphones and start coding, it is most geeks' comfort zone. But that's only part of it, you also have to do engage with your users, do support, get the word about about your product and a myriad of other things that are not pleasant but absolutely necessary.
Likewise, doing your own thing out west is very appealing and comfortable, but do get anything done you have to engage in the dirty, messy, horse-trading cacophony that is politics. The tech industry for example is notable for not having any significant lobbying capacity in Washington.
The good part is that there's a lot of energy and optimism there, a great openness to new ideas and a general sense of building the future. I think this is the part that attracts people and allows for new companies to take hold and grow big.
The bad part is expressed as a kind of refusal to engage with the rest of society. The analogy I would make is when one is building a company - the easiest part is to put on some headphones and start coding, it is most geeks' comfort zone. But that's only part of it, you also have to do engage with your users, do support, get the word about about your product and a myriad of other things that are not pleasant but absolutely necessary.
Likewise, doing your own thing out west is very appealing and comfortable, but do get anything done you have to engage in the dirty, messy, horse-trading cacophony that is politics. The tech industry for example is notable for not having any significant lobbying capacity in Washington.