You need to be around people that believe in you on many different levels. This is the place. Everyone does believe that you can create change, you can make a big impact, and that you can do it in a short amount of time. And that it’s going to be profitable and they’ll invest in you and make it happen. And it is just so inspirational.

~ Virginia Klausmeier (CEO, Sylvatex) in NPR’s story on America’s Magnet For Innovation, And Investments, Silicon Valley.

We spent a few days in Silicon Valley on our recent trip, visiting some of Jason’s clients/connections at the Stanford d.school and sitting in on part of a 500 Startups UX bootcamp session. One of the things that  we both really noticed was the confident attitude of everyone we met. Confidence in themselves and in us. Not an arrogance or competitiveness (somewhat surprisingly), just an amazing amount of self-belief that they could build companies, create products and form connections. So when I heard this quote, I found myself nodding. Although my personal experience in the Valley was brief, this sums up the vibe precisely.