Gary Rivlin does a masterful job of capturing the angst of the Valley in his article in today's NYT. As a former denizen of the Valley, I recognize the archtype he nails, as well as the fear of what I would call "lesser success" throughout the piece. Lesser success is what keeps some of the characters in Rivlin's story on their toes --- worth 3.5 mill? Look next door at someone who just nailed an IPO at 50 mil, and put in another 70 hour week. Just complete a tear down and build up of a dream house? What? Next door a mini Taj Majal is going in. Quick, jump to another start up.
Now some fear is a good thing -- it sharpens the mind. But there is something unseemly about the quest for more things that just feels a bit off. Here in Seattle, we just finished having our house earthquake proofed, which involved much drilling and banging in the basement, and thus lots of questions from our 4.9 year old, who has yet to experience an earthquake and was then subsequently not all that pleased with the concept. What we said to her seems more true than the quest for more millions by thems that already got millions: "things are things. what really matters are people and ideas, and those do pretty well in earthquakes."
Let's all get fired up in the quest for the next big idea *because* it's a big idea, and not because of an incipient IPO, and everyone will be a lot happier.