Increasing social inequality

Silicon Valley has much to offer. It is an Eldorado of innovation and entrepreneurship, a vibrant startup culture. The Valley is an environment that brings out the best in yourself, the cultural climate is alluring, and the climate ‒ often an underestimated factor in understanding the dynamics of entrepreneurship ‒ is more than pleasant. San Francisco is a cultural melting pot celebrating diversity, an invigorating bohemian city that since many decades has been a very appealing place for younger generations to work and live in. It is a hightech hotspot but also a cultural hotspot. Good vibrations. Silicon Valley, somehow, is an area that easily seduces one to aggrandize its (many) economic, cultural, and entrepreneurial plusses. Nevertheless, a sound shot of critical reluctance is needed in praising the Valley and the neighboring city of San Francisco. There are some obvious downsides. The roads are congested, the infrastructure is far from ideal. In 2014, the Silicon Valley Business Journal ran a series on Silicon Valley transportation. They opened with the qualifying remark: “Sitting in traffic do you get the feeling that for all Silicon Valley's rhetoric about innovation, the region is stuck in another era?” San Jose Mercury News adds: “The Bay Area's long-neglected, crumbling streets will get a desperately needed face-lift, much to the relief of motorists who have been dodging jarring potholes for decades and shelling out big bucks for auto repairs when they can't steer clear.” They state that “[c]ity and county governments would need to spend close to $875 million a year through 2040, to meet the Bay Area's road maintenance needs -- over three times more than the current $285 million spent across the region”. Oscar Garcia (Mountain View Chamber of Commerce) adds that the CoC did a poll among its members: “We polled our members, and the three top issues were transportation, housing, and workforce development.” The problem is clearly recognized, but solving the issue seems harder than the usual innovative challenges businesses face.

The number of homeless is upsetting. In 2013, the count was 6,436 homeless people in San Francisco. The cost of living is exorbitant, housing prices become prohibitive, and the materialism of the nouveau riches takes extravagant proportions.