Originally published in Entrepreneur Magazine

By Tim Schigel

Silicon Valley isn’t only a place — it’s a mindset.

It’s optimistic, it’s idealistic and everyone is there to make the world a better place, even if what they are building is just (yet another!) photo filter app.

Even as Silicon Valley is being exposed for its dark sides — everything from its diversity shortcomings, to its focus on money, to scandals around sexual harassment, ageism and the cost of living — it’s provided a playbook for growth and innovation for the rest of the world.

The key is for entrepreneurs in places like Kansas City and Nashville and Cincinnati to take the right lessons from the Bay Area, by focusing on the mindset: the idea that innovation comes through iteration, that failure should be embraced for what you can learn from it and that every business can be transformed by technology. These concepts can do much to accelerate business cultures everywhere.

Now is the time, when entire traditional industries are suffering and business leaders are under pressure to defend against disruptive forces, to ensure that this mindset is switched on to create prosperity and growth. Technology will continue to reshape economies across America. The question is if Middle America can learn this new game and build a new prosperity in old economy strongholds. I believe we can.

Read the full article at https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/305083

Tim Schigel is the founding partner of Refinery Ventures, an early stage venture capital investment firm based in Cincinnati.