Paul Graham speech at YC Startup School - Stockholm April 2026

Ambitious startup founders should relocate to Silicon Valley to access superior talent pools, foster serendipitous connections, and benefit from a high-velocity investment environment. These centers provide a unique, non-transactional "pay-it-forward" culture that accelerates growth and helps founders accurately calibrate their own potential against world-class peers. While local ecosystems often suffer from conservative investment habits and limited networking, spending time in a global hub allows founders to import these optimized practices back home. Consequently, the most effective strategy for regional hubs like Stockholm to thrive is for founders to gain experience in Silicon Valley and return, bringing back capital, expertise, and a culture of mutual support. This cyclical movement mirrors the historical development of other specialized fields, where proximity to the global center of gravity remains essential for achieving peak performance.