I'm not familiar with the corridor, but I'm asked similar questions by many
regions in the world. My answer is always the same: a great engineering
school. You get great engineers, you'll get great tech companies. The
venture capitalists, lawyers, accountants, and rest of the infrastructure
will follow. This isn't a chicken-and-egg question. There is definitely an
order: great engineers cause great tech businesses.

Most people don't adopt my advice because it's cooler and more politically
acceptable to do something like a tax credit, venture capital fund, or
sponsored incubator. My education recommendation will take twenty years to
bear fruit. Silicon Valley, as we know it, started in the late 20s.

Do you think it would be beneficial for more young people, while still in their collegiate undergrad years, to plan and create upstarts as projects as part of a class or program of study? Why or why not?

I would encourage students who like entrepreneurship to create startups as
projects or part of the curriculum. However, you shouldn't ram this down the
throat of young people nor believe that you can determine who's
entrepreneurial and who isn't this early. In college I majored in
psychology--mostly because it was the easiest major I could find.

Students should study what they love--Asian art history, Latin, auto
mechanics, even psychology. Everyone doesn't have to study XML or electrical
engineering to be successful. High school and college should be times for
expansion of interests, not specialization. You have you whole life to be
cubbyholed. Why start early?

Do you know why everyone knows that Michael Dell started Dell in his dorm
room? Hint: It's not because lots of people have done it. It's because his
story is highly unusual--if not unique. I hope there are hundreds of Michael
Dells, but there are many other paths to happiness.

Thank you so much for being so generous by sharing some of your time with me, Guy.

Glad to help.

This book is red hot! Get it now before it sells right off the shelves!!!

-John Mudd
"Mr. Real Estate"