Golden Threads of Reciprocity in Silicon Valley

We’ve just returned to Australia from a few weeks in Silicon Valley, and besides the obvious pay it forward and action oriented mindset, it appears to me that the system is based on reciprocity — the good kind of giving because you have received, not owing because you are in debt.

History & Reciprocity = Silicon Valley Ecosystem

There’s endless debate and discussion on how to ‘create the next Silicon Valley’ in areas around the world, but I’m convinced that you cannot replicate it because it is not a physical thing.
Silicon Valley is an ecosystem with History & Reciprocity.

Spending time with a local VC who’s been embedded here for over 30 years demonstrated this. Most meetings and discussions were steeped in history and historic connections across multiple companies, industries, locations and people.

It’s interesting to learn that the Google Android building used to house Adobe Systems,

and the Acrobat name came from the statues of Acrobats just outside the building.

Also that the purple buildings at the original Google Building are from Silicon Graphics days

and that the first internet connection was initiated down the road at the Alpine Inn.

It’s hard to imagine replicating this interconnected history and respect for predecessors and the inevitability of the next wave of success.

It’s fascinating to experience and observe the long threads of reciprocity across the years and the history of this magical place.