My rules of life in Silicon Valley

Here are the rules I have formulated to help myself and others understand what it is like to live and work as an entrepreneur here in Silicon Valley. I am often asked by recent arrivals, family members and friends from the midwest what life here is like. Although this does not capture everything about the culture here, it helps me keep everything in perspective.

When you find yourself in the company of more than your immediate friends and close acquaintances, you should make the following assumptions:

1. You are not the wealthiest person in the room.
2. You are not the smartest person in the room.

The reasons for these assumptions is fairly straighforward. Every time I've been in a room of 10 or more people, both (1) and (2) were completely accurate. Like my neighbors across the street and their new yellow Ferrari or the vast quantities of Stanford graduates around me, I can safely assume that I am not at the top of any pecking order.