Leadership, making a talent base and the building of silicon valley

What is it that’s magical about this place [Silicon Valley]? And is it something that could be replicated in other parts of the world?

Everybody wants to replicate it. What they fail to understand is that replication is a 30- or 40-year effort. It’s not an overnight transformation.

And it takes that long because the educational institutions which serve as the source– not only of many of the great ideas which are transformed into new things in the Valley– but also of the talent base. So you need talent. It begins with great people. And one of the remarkable things about the Bay Area is, as you pointed out, it brings great people from all over the globe to this incredible place. It’s built an environment over time that, while it’s not a perfect meritocracy, it’s as good as any place I’ve ever seen. And it’s a welcoming place for people from all walks of life. You can come from anywhere in the world and find people in the Valley that speak the language you spoke when you were born, that eat the kind of food you really enjoy. And that makes it a very welcoming place to bring talented individuals. You know– flat management structures. There are a lot of things that happen.