Unions inherently create an 'us versus them' dynamic that makes winning against a company's management the top goal, not serving customers, innovating, or in the case of education, teaching kids. Sarah Lacy More Quotes by Sarah Lacy More Quotes From Sarah Lacy You know what works in venture capital? A group of incredibly smart, connected people who have the financial wherewithal and risk appetite to make multi-million dollar bets on unproven ideas and inexperienced founders. People who can make decisions quickly, and who spend their time trying to help entrepreneurs make the most of that cash. Sarah Lacy you smart time people A lot of the books that have been written about Silicon Valley are really good. Michael Malone's books are incredible. I think his 'Infinite Loop' is the best book that's been written about Apple. Sarah Lacy best good think book I always want to have San Francisco as my home and my base. I'm a business reporter - that's what I do and what I enjoy - and I don't know another place on the planet that would be as fascinating to cover. Sarah Lacy place enjoy business home People always tell me the next stage of my career means moving to New York, but I never will. I don't care how that affects my career, and I think it's stupid that it would. Sarah Lacy me care stupid people The one thing I didn't do that was kind of controversial was go work for a daily paper, because I didn't like that kind of journalism, and I'm glad I didn't because that's the business model that's going totally extinct. Sarah Lacy daily journalism business work My husband and I own half a dozen iPods, a Mac desktop, and four Mac laptops. We're clearly fans of Mr. Jobs' work. Sarah Lacy own fans husband work For all the billions of dollars created here, Silicon Valley is remarkably stingy when it comes to giving. Sarah Lacy valley here stingy giving What created Silicon Valley was a culture of openness, and there is no future to Silicon Valley without it. Sarah Lacy valley without future culture You know that American dream and American spirit of innovation we always talk about? Turns out, the bulk of it was built by people who came to America from somewhere else, not people born American. We have no birthright or natural lock on these things. Sarah Lacy you american-dream innovation people Some people have blithely dismissed growth in markets like China and India, saying Silicon Valley will always be the hub for tech: that everyone will come to us. Wake up: Because the numbers are showing money and talent is increasingly going elsewhere. Sarah Lacy talent growth money people It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it. For the entrepreneur? Not so much. Hitherto unknown relatives, entrepreneurs seeking angel investments, money managers and supposed baby-mamas all come out of the woodwork with dollar signs in their eyes. Sarah Lacy eyes crazy money angel I am a meat-loving Southern girl. Add in being a writer, and that means I drink more than I should, too. Sarah Lacy i-am being drink girl What's awesome about the Internet is how it breaks up monopolistic markets where middlemen unfairly gobble up outsized fees, leaving us little choice but to keep paying them. Sarah Lacy how choice internet leaving The thought for a long time was that banks needed to be too controlled, too regulated to be turned over to the Wild West of the Net. Then the credit meltdown hit, and we saw just how reckless these so-called safe and regulated institutions were. Sarah Lacy thought long-time time long The biggest barrier to starting a company isn't ideas, funding or experience. It's excuses. Sarah Lacy excuses company experience ideas Being in Silicon Valley is like playing for the Yankees. You get knocked around more than anywhere else, the glare of the media spotlight is more brutal, and the expectations are higher than they'd be in any other city. Sarah Lacy city you media expectations The best entrepreneurs know when to ignore sage advice. Sarah Lacy best ignore know advice