The greatest force in Silicon Valley: Optimism

One of the great things about living in the Valley is the sense of optimism and excitement. Now a recent survey of California residents reveals that Valley residents are more optimistic than the Angelenos in SoCal. Despite having lost more jobs than any other region in the state, the Valley is more confident, more optimistic, and more upbeat.

Even those who have felt the impact of the downturn are upbeat:

“Barry Campbell has lost two jobs in the past two years. He’s traded a sprawling home in the Milpitas foothills for a one-bedroom apartment, and a Lexus coupe for a Honda Accord. He’s now been out of work for six months — and the unemployment checks just stopped.

Yet he remains upbeat — and talks about the valley with the fervor of a tech evangelist.

‘Silicon Valley is still the primo place to do tech,” said Campbell, who is looking for a job in high-tech marketing. ‘It’s the aura of this valley. This is where the money is.'”

Whether or not the optimism is justified, this kind of energy is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and is yet another reason why I’m glad to be here.