Secrets of Silicon Valley

January 21, 2013
When Piscione (Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take on the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face), a former congressional and White House staffer, lobbyist, and political commentator, moved from Washington, D.C. to Silicon Valley, she experienced culture shock. Not only did she find the area welcoming, she discovered that Silicon Valley had a very distinct mindset characterized by networking, innovation, and an inimitable comfort with risk. She quickly assimilated, raising capital and launching three successful start-ups in six years. Piscione’s latest is less about how to get funding and succeed as an entrepreneur than it is about understanding how Silicon Valley ticks: the history of the area, including Stanford University’s profound influence on both technology and innovation, as well as profiles of industry leaders. The book succeeds in its mission to illustrate how Silicon Valley’s history and mindset have created an environment for success. Unfortunately, it is overly ambitious in its reach and toward the end borders on being a relocation guide, with several chapters discussing services like schools and restaurants, meeting places, and lifestyle. Nonetheless, Piscione offers a bird’s-eye view of one of the most exceptional economic ecosystems in the U.S., which is sure to interest entrepreneurs and leaders alike. Agent: Claudia Cross, Folio Literary Management.

February 1, 2013
Solid overview of the world's "global innovation capital." Formerly a congressional staffer and lobbyist, Piscione moved to Silicon Valley seven years ago, started three media companies and became a zealous booster of the renowned high-tech region. In this brisk examination of the valley's "ecosystem and culture," she draws on interviews with innovators, venture capitalists and others to describe the genesis of this unusual creative hub, its main characteristics and how others can apply lessons learned there to innovative endeavors elsewhere. Named for the silicon-chip manufacturers who dominated the region in the 1970s, Silicon Valley is now the home for many leading global technology corporations (Apple, Google, etc.), which thrive in "a meritocratic culture that rewards innovative ideas, independent thinking, and hubris." Piscione considers the major factors behind the region's rise--Moffett Field, a former naval air station now owned by the NASA Ames Research Center; Stanford University, a force for innovation that has helped spawn 6,000 firms; the development of the electronics and semiconductor industries; and the availability of venture capital--the seminal roles of Stanford leader Frederick Terman and inventor William Shockley, and the convergence of engineers, scientists and people with an entrepreneurial mindset. Constantly adapting to new ideas, the region has long welcomed skilled immigrants--37 percent of the population is foreign-born, and most of those are from Asia. "Entrepreneurship is Silicon Valley's sport, its religion, and there is no greater place in the world to be an entrepreneur," writes Piscione. The author leaves few aspects of life in the valley unexamined; she even includes a rundown of hot spots like Buck's of Woodside, a restaurant where entrepreneurs and venture capitalists meet. A valuable glimpse of a mecca of innovation.

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