While I agree that the SV mindset has spread around the world, I think it is a mistake to overlook the geographic concentration of capital in SV. If Juicero had been located in Kansas City I doubt the story would have gone the same: they never would have been funded. The geographic concentration of VC firms in SV, coupled with VC preference to fund nearby startups they can keep a close eye on, creates a barrier to entry for getting new ideas funded. For the last few years, a bad idea in SV had a better chance of getting funded than a good idea elsewhere. Meanwhile, here in Cape Canaveral, there is not a single VC firm.
The issue with SV isn't that it funds all kinds of crazy ideas. That is great, and how innovation happens. Some of those crazy ideas turn out to be crazy for a reason, some turn out to be crazy because they are genius. The issue is that good ideas elsewhere in the country are at a disadvantage if they don't play the game and move to SV.
I don't want to pick on Moon Express, because I'm a big fan of privatized spaceflight, but it says a lot that landing a robot on the moon is being done by SV guys who came to Cape Canaveral, rather than Cape Canaveral guys who went to SV. That has a lot more to do with funding availability than mindset.
The issue with SV isn't that it funds all kinds of crazy ideas. That is great, and how innovation happens. Some of those crazy ideas turn out to be crazy for a reason, some turn out to be crazy because they are genius. The issue is that good ideas elsewhere in the country are at a disadvantage if they don't play the game and move to SV.
I don't want to pick on Moon Express, because I'm a big fan of privatized spaceflight, but it says a lot that landing a robot on the moon is being done by SV guys who came to Cape Canaveral, rather than Cape Canaveral guys who went to SV. That has a lot more to do with funding availability than mindset.