Arach Tchoupani

So tonight I read an email from a good friend with amusement:

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has asked for some ideas on how the President and the Federal Government can increase high-tech entrepreneurship in America, and I thought that you might have some good ideas in this area.

They are looking for both goals and tactics. The tactics could involve legislation, Federal spending, public-private partnerships, political will, etc. Given your standing in the community, I am sure that you have some thoughts on goals. I am looking to pull some ideas together for them in the next few days.

My response was basically the title of this post – we don’t want their help, because they tend to turn everything they touch into toxic waste anyway. Just leave Silicon Valley alone please. Please.

I’m seeing way too many friends spending time in Washington posing for photos with Obama and Hillary Clinton lately. God knows what they’re actually telling these politicians while they’re busy playing Mr. Important Person. But I doubt it’s what they should be saying – leave us alone, stop pissing on our flowerbed.

If the government wants to help innovation in this country they should get busy with infrastructure. Lay fiber to every home and business in the U.S. Actually start building some of these high speed train networks to make travel easier. Get computers into the hands of every child in the country as soon as they are physically able to press buttons. Heck, put a woman on the moon. I don’t know if that last one will do much, but at least they’ll be busy not screwing up Silicon Valley while they’re at it.

I would have said let in any highly educated person in the world that wants to live here, but I know that isn’t going to happen. We will continue to shun the next generation of brilliant foreign entrepreneurs because of some absurd fear that they’re going to take away our jobs. In a few years those entrepreneurs will no longer want to live here anyway.

I think Michael just gave his ideas right there.

Implying that the President is at fault for the less awesome provisions of Senator Dodd's bill is a bit of a stretch. And ignoring the roots of the Valley as a research and production arm for the US Military is a bit rich.

But in general I tend to agree. Don't get in the way.