As a serial entrepreneur and professor in Silicon Valley, I am frequently asked what it takes to create an ecosystem of start-up innovation. Usually, the question is phrased like this: "What does it take to create a Silicon Valley in our backyard?"
I give everybody the same answer: "Invite a bunch of entrepreneurs into a room. Then leave."
One of the most important, and underrated, aspects of entrepreneurship clusters is location. Entrepreneurs don't need "teaching" so much as space. A place to gather, share ideas, experiment, fail, and settle on an innovation.
From my experience, there are five elements to every success "ecosystem" of entrepreneurship.
1) A culture of collaboration: To lean over to a group engaged in conversation at a table next to yours at a Silicon Valley coffee shop, and ask, "Do you know anything about [programming platform] Ruby-on-Rails?" is tantamount to saying, "Oh hi." We ask people we meet about technology, about trends, and what they're up to, and what new project their friends just started. There is an informal air of collaboration in Silicon Valley. It's network-building friendships. It's informal mentorships. And it's everywhere.
To read the full, original article click on this link: The 5 Secrets of Silicon Valley - Naeem Zafar - Business - The Atlantic
