, Columnist
Noncompete Agreements Take a Toll on the Economy
States are starting to wise up and restrict them. It worked out well for California.
Despite sky-high housing prices, Silicon Valley remains the vital center of the U.S. tech industry. Once an industry takes root in a particular place, it’s very hard to pull it away. Which makes it all the more important to understand: Why did Silicon Valley become Silicon Valley in the first place?
One prominent theory is that California’s culture encouraged a free flow of workers and ideas between companies, combining and re-combining in ways that spurred continuous innovation, instead of being jealously hoarded in corporate offices.