What is Silicon Valley culture and what is its origin?

Silicon Valley is the birthplace of the American technology industry and the place with the highest concentration of contemporary high-tech companies. Therefore, Silicon Valley has become a high-tech industrial development model studied and imitated by various countries. The success of Silicon Valley lies not only in its large amount of venture capital and its large pool of high-quality talents due to its proximity to famous universities, but also in the unique "Silicon Valley culture" it has created during its development process to encourage innovation.

Silicon Valley’s contribution to the new economy of the United States is not only reflected in economic growth, but more importantly, it has developed a complete market mechanism and created a culture conducive to innovation. Silicon Valley people have created Silicon Valley culture in their entrepreneurship, and Silicon Valley culture has further attracted and gathered outstanding talents from all walks of life into Silicon Valley. In fact, in the long run, the demonstration effect and far-reaching influence of Silicon Valley culture in gathering talents and developing the economy greatly exceed the growth of its economic indicators. This potential impact is one of immense wealth and spirituality that is difficult to put into numbers. States in the United States are also striving to imitate Silicon Valley and have launched a series of measures to implement economic structural adjustments, aiming to strive for dominance in the process of the emergence of the new economy in the United States. In the entire development of the situation, the role of "culture" in the economy should especially attract the attention and thinking of my country's private science and technology park enterprises.

1． The basic connotation of Silicon Valley culture

The basic connotation of Silicon Valley culture can be summarized as "prosperous academics and continuous innovation; encourage risk-taking and tolerate failure; advocate competition, equality and openness; pay attention to cooperation and be people-oriented".

(1) Prosper academic research and continue to innovate. The free development of academics is a catalyst and booster for the development of high-tech industries. A democratic, relaxed and free academic environment is conducive to the exchange of ideas and information. The sparks generated by the collision of ideas during the communication process will inevitably inspire new ideas and creativity. These new thoughts and ideas often evolve into the germination of high-tech and the starting point of new industries. It can be seen that prosperous academics are the common foundation for the development of all high-tech industries in Silicon Valley. During the development of Silicon Valley, well-known universities such as Stanford University not only continuously imported all kinds of talents, but also brought the university's good academic style and academic traditions to Silicon Valley, giving birth to the flourishing academic research and academic exploration atmosphere of Silicon Valley, thereby providing Silicon Valley with a prosperous atmosphere. Provides strong support in terms of talent, intelligence and technology. Continuous innovation reflects the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley people who dare to be the first in the world at all times, in everything, and everywhere. Silicon Valley has gathered a large number of outstanding innovative talents from all over the world. These intellectual immigrants have brought cultures from various countries and regions. The continuous interweaving and blending of multiple cultures have formed unique innovative concepts. These new concepts have effectively promoted Institutional innovation and environmental innovation. Under the influence of this innovative atmosphere, people in Silicon Valley are becoming more active in thinking and more discerning. People are racing against time to turn some good ideas into new technologies, new products and new services, and occupy the market. It can be said that people in Silicon Valley are pursuing innovation all the time, which has almost become their entire work and life. It is this unremitting pursuit that has contributed to the emergence of new talents, new technologies and new products in Silicon Valley.

(2) Encourage risk-taking and tolerate failure. In Silicon Valley, people's optimistic and enterprising spirit as well as competition among peers and society continue to encourage people to venture into and take risks. The increasingly perfect venture capital mechanism in recent years has inspired the adventurous spirit of Silicon Valley people. More and more people in Silicon Valley experience adventure and opportunity. Without risk-taking, there can be no new development opportunities. Silicon Valley people will inevitably have the experience of failure in this kind of adventurous and adventurous entrepreneurship. They are incompatible with the mentality of outsiders who seek stability and wait for success. Because of this, people in Silicon Valley are extremely tolerant of failure. Their understanding and philosophy of "failure is the mother of success", "failure in entrepreneurship breeds success", and "failure is a kind of wealth for human development" have become the people of Silicon Valley. The generally recognized wise attitude has also become an inner spiritual motivation for people to take risks and innovate. However, in many parts of the world, mistakes and failures in work, technology, or decision-making are often seen as a shame or stain, and can even ruin a person's life's future. This concept will inevitably encourage and promote the conservative mentality of people who are afraid of failure and dare not take risks. In Silicon Valley, many companies take the initiative to reward courageous and knowledgeable people who take risks and actively participate, but do not punish losers who take risks. The tolerance for failure in Silicon Valley culture has greatly motivated and inspired employees to boldly try and explore innovative innovations. It should be said that the unique cultural atmosphere in Silicon Valley that encourages risk-taking and tolerates failure is a new sublimation of the development of human wisdom and civilization reaching a new level.

(3) Advocate competition, equality and openness. Today's world is full of competition, and competition in the high-tech field is particularly fierce. In Silicon Valley, every company and even everyone feels competition and strives for competition all the time. Under the strict and fair rules of market competition, people not only focus on the continuous improvement of their own abilities and levels, but also pay attention to learning from their opponents in competition, respecting their opponents, and communicating on an equal footing. Some good ideas generated in competitive exchanges are often more likely to be supported by sponsorship or venture capital. The inclusive spirit of Silicon Valley people allows Silicon Valley people to fully express their personal opinions and views without any scruples. Colleagues or superiors will not only encourage them, but also carefully absorb valuable opinions and suggestions based on full evaluation. .

The high openness of Silicon Valley has also contributed to the high mobility of talents. This high openness and high mobility are crucial to attracting and gathering high-quality talents and giving full play to their creative potential.

(4) Pay attention to cooperation and people-oriented. Silicon Valley people not only have a strong personal and individual spirit of innovation and competition, but they also attach great importance to team spirit. People generally realize that in this era of rapid development of high and new technologies, the success of any undertaking cannot be achieved by relying solely on individual efforts as it was in the past, but must rely on collaboration, cooperation and the power of the group. A reporter from "Fortune" magazine pointed out after visiting Silicon Valley, "There is an amazing cooperation between companies there, which is as close as that of the Japanese. This cooperation stems from personal exchanges." High-tech in Silicon Valley The vigorous development of the industry fundamentally benefits from the gathering of talents, and the gathering of talents relies on the concept of "people-oriented". Talents are universally respected, human value is fully reflected, and employees have more and fairer opportunities to become rich based on their own talents. This is the biggest secret to the success of Silicon Valley. The company generally implements a shareholding dividend system. The company's employees are both workers and owners. This incentive mechanism greatly strengthens employees' sense of ownership and effectively stimulates employees' creative potential and work investment and pursuit.

2. The essential characteristics of Silicon Valley culture

Through the above analysis, Silicon Valley culture includes at least the following five essential characteristics:

(1) Silicon Valley culture is a culture that seeks diversity and innovation. The innovative consciousness and innovative activities of Silicon Valley people create and constitute the core connotation of Silicon Valley culture. This cultural core has infected and influenced all newcomers to Silicon Valley. It can be said that the space in Silicon Valley is full of the atmosphere of seeking difference and innovation, and innovative thinking and innovative activities are everywhere.

(2) Silicon Valley culture is an open-minded immigrant culture. There is a saying in Silicon Valley, "Silicon Valley is made up of IC[,s]. This does not refer to integrated circuits, but to Indians and Chinese." This statement tells the story of Silicon Valley. Immigration Basics. In fact, Silicon Valley has also gathered a large number of outstanding talents in high-tech industries from various countries except China and India. The fusion of diverse, diverse and multicultural cultures has formed a colorful and dynamic immigrant culture in Silicon Valley.

(3) Silicon Valley culture is a culture where humanity and individuality can develop freely. The freedom here is not lawlessness, nor lawlessness. The culture here includes the common norms and social ethics of responsibility, obligation, legality, equality, justice; it is based on a transparent market mechanism, breaking through the shackles of all traditional culture, and gradually progressing on the basis of everyone's rational knowledge. Developed gradually.

(4) Silicon Valley culture is a culture derived from academics. The birth of Silicon Valley originated from the entrepreneurship of Stanford University professors and students here. These pioneers brought academic seeds and made Silicon Valley a "feng shui treasure land" where academics are fully integrated into industry and industry relies on academic development. Entrepreneurs know the importance and value of academics in the process of innovation. They cherish this tradition and pass it on from generation to generation, making Silicon Valley always full of academic atmosphere. It can be said that without academics, there would be no Silicon Valley. It is academics that give birth to Silicon Valley culture.

(5) Silicon Valley culture is a people-oriented culture. "People-oriented" emphasizes the core role and fundamental position of people in economic and social activities, emphasizes the value of people-the value of all kinds of people and everyone can be self-realized, and emphasizes the opportunities and opportunities for everyone to develop comprehensively and freely. condition. It should be said that Silicon Valley culture is a full manifestation of the concept of "people-oriented".

3． The inspiration of Silicon Valley culture to the development of private science and technology park enterprises

Silicon Valley culture, as a typical representative of innovation culture, has at least the following implications for accelerating the cultural construction of private science and technology parks in my country:

(1) The development of private science and technology parks is inseparable from a pioneering innovation culture. Culture is the result of ideological awareness and spiritual sublimation in people's social activities. Generally speaking, culture has national and contemporary characteristics. Culture is the spiritual force that unites people and inspires morale. Cultural forms can be divided into national culture, regional culture, corporate culture, etc. But no matter what form of culture, it must continue to innovate and develop in order to continue to gain vitality. Silicon Valley culture is a kind of regional culture. It has been condensed into a new innovative culture full of vitality and vitality through the blending of multi-national cultures brought in by immigrants from many countries and ethnic groups. Silicon Valley people rely on this culture to promote the rapid economic and social development of the Silicon Valley region and form a unique Silicon Valley model. This is a vivid example of the significant impact of contemporary advanced innovation culture on real society.

(2) The innovation culture of private science and technology parks requires a sound market mechanism. Some scholars have conducted a comparative study on Silicon Valley and the Highway 128 industrial belt, and found that in many development indicators, Silicon Valley has gone from lagging behind to catching up, and has maintained a momentum of vigorous development. In terms of gathering talents, attracting funds, industrialization level, In terms of its stimulating effect on the economy, it far exceeds that of the Highway 128 Industrial Belt. The final analysis is that the Silicon Valley model has followed the laws of market economy from the beginning and established a complete market mechanism. The division of labor among the government, society and industry has also become more scientific and reasonable, and more adapted to the requirements of the market economy.

However, the Highway 128 Industrial Belt relies too much on government support, and excessive official participation has led to relatively rigid mechanisms and conservative concepts. It is at a disadvantage in the development of innovative culture, so it is increasingly lagging behind in development speed. The Silicon Valley model is so unique that many countries and regions, including the United States, have followed suit. However, it is still difficult to "clone" a second Silicon Valley. The fundamental reason is that it is difficult to transplant the Silicon Valley culture. The birth and development of Silicon Valley culture and the perfect market mechanism are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. This reveals the truth that innovative culture requires a perfect market mechanism.

(3) The innovation culture of private science and technology parks requires high-level talent groups and a democratic and free academic atmosphere. High-level talent groups are the foundation of innovative culture, and a democratic and free academic atmosphere is the guarantee of innovative culture. The development of Silicon Valley is a sufficient proof. In recent years, with strong lobbying from the Silicon Valley high-tech industry, the United States has expanded the number of H1-B skilled immigrant visas. Some Silicon Valley companies have also used J1 visas without quota restrictions to encourage employees to immigrate, and then tried to change the status of these employees in the United States. Immigration status. These high-quality immigrants who entered Silicon Valley through different channels are considered the source of Silicon Valley’s intelligence. It is this group of high-level talents from various countries that laid the foundation of Silicon Valley culture. Academics are the source of innovative ideas, and a democratic and free academic atmosphere can stimulate enthusiasm for innovation and inspire innovative ideas. For example, the University of Cambridge has an academic salon in the form of afternoon tea. From a historical perspective, the "afternoon tea" here has inspired generations of scientists to create successful ideas. Nobel Prize winner Professor F. Sanger came here to have tea and exchanges. He was inspired and perfected the experimental design, and finally completed the sequencing of all DNA nucleotides of the phage. This achievement won him the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. . It is said that this kind of academic salon for afternoon tea has "produced" more than 60 Nobel Prize winners. In Silicon Valley, people's academic exchanges are simpler and more effective. They can chat anytime and anywhere. In the process of "chatting", many academic ideas and opinions are generated, disseminated and exchanged tangibly and intangibly. This is the root of why people in Silicon Valley are creative and have many ideas. Therefore, innovation culture requires not only a high-level talent group, but also a relaxed, democratic, and free academic atmosphere for full exchange of ideas.

(4) The innovation culture of private science and technology parks can be developed within a certain area. Silicon Valley culture is the innovative culture within the Silicon Valley region. It cannot be completely transplanted, but it can be learned from. In fact, many countries and regions have developed their own regional innovation cultures by learning from Silicon Valley’s experience. Such as Tsukuba Science City in Japan, Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park in Taiwan, as well as science parks and private technology parks in various developed countries and regions. Their success is all due to the innovative culture established in the park. We believe that it is entirely feasible to learn from the development history of foreign innovation culture and rely on high-tech development zones and science parks to develop the innovation culture of private science and technology parks in our country. We must focus on vigorously creating an academic atmosphere, optimizing the entrepreneurial environment, and gathering a large number of high-level talents. From attracting overseas students to start businesses in the park, introducing foreign innovative cultural concepts to develop the innovation culture of the park, and then through the development of innovation culture, more talents of all types can be gathered to jointly promote the construction and development of the park. This is the scientific way and the wise way. You must not only focus on hardware and form. As soon as you invest a sum of money, open a stall, and set up a posture, you can’t wait to declare that you are (or will be) this “valley” or that “valley” of China. Valley”. The most important thing for a wise person is sobriety, while the most important thing for a real "Valley" is profound cultural connotation, as well as the "inner energy" and vitality derived from this connotation.