It’s similar to asking whether students need to go to university to learn a subject when everything there is to learn is available at the touch of a keystroke.

Technically not needed, but turns out it is really beneficial to be with likeminded people with common goals.

I’ve seen confused founders become relentless executors when surrounded by the right vibe. And I’ve seen ambitious founders burnout fighting for traction in an environment that doesn’t foster their energy.

So I’d say yes.

In theory but good lord the pitch event circuit here is excruciating and the coworking spaces have way less vibe than people imagine.

Ah yes, the brofounders.

To be a _good_ founder you should also be capable of starting a tractor dealership in Iowa or taking over an accounting firm in Dallas. You have leadership, entrepreneurship, and decision making skills.

Silicon Valley has enough tide to lift all boats that mediocre people like you describe can still have a chance at success and being heralded as mold breaking visionaries.

To me the guy who can run a tech company in the valley and a tractor dealership in Iowa usually becomes the MBA bro. They’re good leaders no doubt but they inevitably become some Private Equity bro, just absolutely inconsequential to the larger economy.

I quite prefer the valley environments ability to take deep domain experts and turn them into the best managers of their own technology.

What are you talking about, of course the emperor has clothes. Just look at color, the undisputed kings of vibe.

no.

No but it’s nice to be surrounded by like minded people. What you need isn’t always what you want.