Paul Graham writes an interesting essay, ”How to Be Silicon Valley” which I think bodes well for the future of the Upper Valley.

Checklist:
* nerds – more and more every day
* rich people – all over Hanover, Lyme, Norwich, Plainfield, and Cornish
* vital town centers – check
* small businesses – check
* minimal urban sprawl – check
* people walk around smiling – except in January and February
* affordable – a potential problem, getting more expensive
* tolerate odd ideas – Live Free or Die, Baby! Claremont was picked as the best place in America for the Free State Project.
* startups beget startups – Creare and Dean are doing well here
* attractive place to live – a matter of taste but I couldn’t stand the weather in Silicon Valley myself. Whimpy nerds can stay in Cali.
* culture – some from the College, Opera Houses, needs some work.
* excellent University – Dartmouth is really starting to get ‘tech’, a stark contrast from what I saw as an undergrad in the early 90’s.

All in all, we’re in pretty good shape. Let’s do this thang.