Y Combinator is a cult and Silicon Valley is unique

Steve Blank, a Silicon Valley-based retired serial entrepreneur, does a fabulous job in this interview in defining what makes Silicon Valley unique as a global engine of innovation. It’s about culture and culture cannot be easily copied or exported.

He also talks about how people around the world can be reading his posts and lessons in near-real time and that this is helping to change culture in innovation centers around the world.

I disagree with this point, just because you can read something today doesn’t mean that you “get it.” Culture travels a lot more slowly than electrons.

I refer you to Foremski’s Universal Constant of Kultura (Polish for culture, and for which there is no polite acronym) which states that ideas take about six months to travel about 3,000 miles.

I’ve noticed that it takes people in New York about 6 months to understand key ideas from Silicon Valley; and London and Europe takes about a year.

This article by Tom Foremski originally appeared on Silicon Valley Watcher and is republished with permission.