I Don’t Like the New Me
Optics Valley: Not Tech, But People
Optics Valley: Not Tech, But People
Eight years ago, I left Silicon Valley and relocated to Tucson. When I arrived, I was different. I was open. I was willing to present every opportunity, plan, and idea I was working on. I trusted people quickly. I collaborated freely. I believed the more we shared, the faster we could grow together.
But the local scarcity mindset changed me.
I became more guarded over time, immersed in the scarcity mindset that permeates much of the local culture. Instead of speaking freely, I began weighing what to reveal and keep to myself. Scarcity is contagious; it breeds caution, fear, and skepticism.
I don’t like who I’ve become.
And I’m not alone. I’ve watched the same transformation happen to many transplants and local innovators. People arrive bright-eyed, full of energy, eager to disrupt. Within a few years, they become skeptical, risk-averse, and hesitant to challenge the status quo for fear of placing a target on their back. Instead of pushing boldly, they learn to play small.
Life is too short for that, and it’s time to change back.
Last week, I spoke with four friends at separate events. All four said the same thing: they’re tired of Tucson. They see little progress in tech ventures, funding, or mentorship. They feel we’ve regressed. Each is planning to leave.
Others already have, worried they wouldn’t find a backup job if theirs disappeared.
And honestly? I get it. Scarcity of Cowtown shows up everywhere:
- People say what you want to hear, then don’t deliver.
- We applaud mediocrity to the point that it thinks it’s fantastic.
- Entrepreneurs seek funding before they’re ready, only to waste valuable time and resources.
- Ideas get borrowed, credit erased.
- Executives network, while the rest of the org cranks out work.
But here’s what I told my friends: leaving now is a mistake.
Why? Because the opportunity is arriving whether Tucson is ready, wants it, or not. Tucson is no longer Cowtown… It is Optics Valley, the Tech Hub.
Optics Valley technologies, photonics, lasers, and precision optics fuel global innovation and change in nearly every industry ($1T globally). They will create startups, jobs, and an ecosystem to reduce Tucson’s 80% brain drain. Markets are already driving this shift and heading south around I-10. This can’t be stopped. Are we ready to listen to people who see this, or keep the blinders on?
What we need isn’t more plans or committees. We need trust. Collaboration. Cross-functional teams. Honesty about what we know and what we don’t. For what we don’t know, we must be willing to admit it and prepare ourselves to learn. Generosity is the default, not the exception. People are ready to help.
Tucson doesn’t have a tech or lack of opportunity problem. It has a people scarcity mindset problem. And only we can fix that.
I’m ready for the massive opportunity that’s coming. Are you?
Reach out. Let’s talk. Let’s build. Together.