phrase
Silicon Valley
Shorthand for the global tech industry โ its companies, capital, and culture.
Origin
The Santa Clara Valley south of San Francisco, named for the silicon used in the semiconductors made there from the 1950s onward. Coined as 'Silicon Valley' by journalist Don Hoefler in 1971. By the 2000s, it meant the worldwide startup and venture-capital ecosystem, regardless of geography.
Modern usage
Used as praise, accusation, and joke. 'Silicon Valley solution' often means clever-but-tone-deaf; 'Silicon Valley money' means well-funded but unproven.
Tags
tech
industry