Is Silicon Valley complacent?

By Alex Singleton | 30 July 2005

That is a question addressed in this BusinessWeek article by the authors of The Only Sustainable Edge:

We have been struck by the fact that within about 30 minutes of any conversation with a Chinese or Indian executive, we inevitably hear a similar statement - the urgency is palpable. There's a sense of energy that has been dammed up for decades suddenly being released and pouring forth, trying to make up for lost time.

Contrast that with a similar conversation we had with the executive of a large tech concern in Silicon Valley a few months ago. As we were discussing the rapid growth of offshoring businesses in China and India, the executive sat back in his chair, relaxed and smiling, as he said confidently: "You know, innovation is our birthright here in the U.S. We will always stay ahead of companies in China and India."

Clearly Silicon Valley needs to be careful that it continues to compete on cost and quality, and there's no such thing as a birthright. But the Valley should take some comfort in the knowledge that society's demand for software is going to be vastly bigger in the future compared to today. And, though there are complacent executives in all walks of life, Silicon Valley has its fair share of businessmen who don't give up easily.