Part of what makes Silicon Valley work is the synergy that results from a very high concentration of technical professionals in a small region.
Yes, and it's not physical density but time-to-get-there that matters. That said, it's impossible to provide the latter without either (a) making living arrangements more dense, or (b) providing an efficient rapid-transit infrastructure, which usually leads to urbanization.
Silicon Valley is also helped enormously by California's extremely strong protection against exploitative non-compete agreements.
Bingo.
but none do, typically in an attempt to be employer-friendly.
I agree. That's bizarre but quite interesting, because kowtowing to employers on microgripes means they miss out on something far more important (to their long-term interest) than whether they can enforce noncompetes: whether they can find talent at all.
Yes, and it's not physical density but time-to-get-there that matters. That said, it's impossible to provide the latter without either (a) making living arrangements more dense, or (b) providing an efficient rapid-transit infrastructure, which usually leads to urbanization.
Silicon Valley is also helped enormously by California's extremely strong protection against exploitative non-compete agreements.
Bingo.
but none do, typically in an attempt to be employer-friendly.
I agree. That's bizarre but quite interesting, because kowtowing to employers on microgripes means they miss out on something far more important (to their long-term interest) than whether they can enforce noncompetes: whether they can find talent at all.