Ask HN: Is it possible for a third world country to have a Silicon Valley?

1. Don't try cloning the silicon valley, if you're in that mentality you've already failed because that's not a leader mentality, it's a follower mentality.<p>2. Start the change locally. Do a startup, try to hire people. Try to organize a small group of developers/hackers, bring books about programming (e.g. SICP), make them available and easily reachable, maybe translate them to your local language.<p>If the Japanese where trying to do mimic Disney exactly, there wouldn't have been Anime, and they wouldn't have caught up with Disney either.<p>Actually now that I think about it, studying the history of Japanese Anime might be very useful.

Here's my 2 cents from having spent a considerable amount of time in Lima, Peru. I think primarily its a cultural thing. I don't see the same level of risk taking or entrepreneurship here that I do in the US. People are more focused on finding stable employment and it seems that being your own boss doesn't get the same level of respect as working for a good company.<p>People also don't seem to have the same level of confidence in themselves here. Kind of hard for me to understand as I am from what is considered the "greatest" country in the world. Hard to imagine what its like for someone growing up in the 3rd world. The only analogy I can draw is perhaps someone coming from a rich family vs someone coming from the ghetto.

Man, living in Brazil i can attest to you that there are plenty of hackers around, but no nasdaq. Maybe it can't be done, and maybe <i>we wouldn't really like it</i> if we got it.<p>In Raghuram Rajam's book (Fault Lines) there is something about half of what a country needs to develop is capital, and part is the human organization that can turn this capital into development. As in sane institutions and sane business procedures and people. I would say such a thing is mostly lacking in Brazil, for example: We do have lots of very very intelligent, educated people but it is not critical mass --- also, it is not enough to be seen by society as a driver of lifestyle enhancement (or something like it).<p>It's easy to see how Americans can buy more Snickers with their salaries and assume that their society is better, but technology has changed all the rules, maybe it changed the rule that "more money is better" too.<p>Which also turns out to be a derisive doubt: In wanting to "make a Philippine Silicon Valley" are you not really trying to get a better pay for the same job you currently get?" It is a totally valid goal, mind you, but also a goal that means you lack a socially contextual mode of analysis.<p>So i would say: Be very good at what you do, and then do something with it.<p>Which in turn means: I only think a "Silicon Valley" thing can happen with real people doing things that they are personally enthusiastic about. Like Woz was enthusiastic about circuits, or Leonardo was enthusiastic about anatomy... and in turn those created a context whereby everyone could see how (not only believe, but see how) this kind of activity could translate in better lives for themselves.<p>I guess i did digress some...

If you wanted to create a hacker heartland in the Philippines you'd do well to look at what Silicon Valley <i>doesn't</i> provide (easily obtainable visas, bootstrapper-friendly costs of living, wage levels which allow for multiple staff with minimal investment/income). You can't compete with the Valley's concentration of investors, but you have the advantage of not needing anything like the same level of investment to build a basic webapp in the first place.<p>I think it's feasible to create a tech hub there that is a bit more than offsourcing for multinationals, but you'd be looking at attracting a different class of entrepreneur.

Any place that wants to be successful really needs stable rules. If a country doesn't protect property or people's economic freedom (move jobs, invest, sell) then I don't think you can get a successful environment for development. In other words, the little guy needs to be able to beat the big guy or the friends of the government.

You maybe would like to read "Why Startup Condense in America" [1] is Paul Graham paper. I do not agree with all his points of view, but is a very interesting read.<p>[1] <a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html</a>

"So many times have I heard people here look down on pinoy artists and game developers and look up to Korean artists and game developers, but the irony here is that A LOT OF PINOY ARTISTS AND DEVELOPERS ARE WORKING FOR KOREAN GAME COMPANIES."<p>Sure, when you have cheap labor to export, you end up doing a lot of work for other people.<p>Also, perhaps Koreans are simply better at running gaming companies, regardless of the nationalities of the employees.<p>As for Silicon Valley, there is only one Silicon Valley.

Arguably Bangalore already has that status, it's certainly produced several multi-billion dollar tech companies which puts it ahead of most cities (both in the developing and developed world).

I would recommend you look into the history of Silicon Valley. As I understand it (and I don't know much about it), it was a lovely, inexpensive place, a very prestigious college decided to do some stuff to help develop local businesses and then some folks who really loved the place went there to start their business(es) because in part because it was so lovely. Do a bit more research and see if you can find a "formula". I'm sure that luck/happenstance plays a role but that doesn't mean you can't get clues for how to encourage something similar to sprout elsewhere.