Valley Boys
In the 4+ years I've lived in Silicon Valley I've found there are entrepreneurs and investors starting, funding, and running companies for reasons other than building products that solve problems.
These are what I've come to call: Valley Boys.
And there are many of them.
Valley Boys are more focused on being somebody great than doing something great.
Valley Boys are sometimes hard to flush out as they will tell you to your face they're working to 'make a dent in the universe'.
Valley Boys are loud, opinionated people who usually lack the success or credentials to warrant their opinions.
Valley Boys are very good at personal branding usually to the detriment of their followers.
Valley Boys are social climbers.
Valley Boys lack humility.
I do not know when this started but every time you read a blog post or an article about a financing round, beautiful office space, the next awesome thing, or why this one individual is so visionary the Valley Boys culture is reinforced.
Even if the people and companies mentioned are not Valley Boys themselves.
There was a time when I got swept up in the Valley Boy ethos. As an outsider it appears it's a requirement, a natural law of Silicon Valley; probably because the Valley Boys are the loudest people in Silicon Valley.
Unfortunately (fortunately) I found it unnatural. It ran against my grain. So I shed it. But wondered if this would hurt my chances of success?
It wasn't until about 3 months after Flowtown was acquired I felt sure you did not have to be a Valley Boy to be successful in Silicon Valley.
In fact most of the entrepreneurs and investors we rightfully admire are not Valley Boys.
And you don't have to be a Valley Boy either.