Frequently Asked Questions

Published March 2026, it examines why most regions claim to support startups but few produce scalable value. Drawing on years of work across founders, VC, and public policy, it diagnoses the structural reasons ecosystems fail, and what can actually be corrected. Paul calls it “an architectural correction,” not a blueprint.

Policymakers, legislators, government officials, ecosystem builders, and economic development professionals, foremost; though too, it’s for founders, investors, and policymakers who want scalable outcomes instead of “startup theater.” If you’re looking for inspiration, this isn’t that book. If you want to understand why things aren’t working and what to do about it, this is it.

Startups are structurally different from small businesses. Venture capital is portfolio math, not economic development. Chasing investors signals weak market demand. Silicon Valley’s rise was commercially driven before it became mythological. Ecosystems fail for structural reasons, not moral ones. Public capital misaligns when it substitutes for reform rather than catalyzes it.

Reviewers describe it as the operating manual Feld’s book pointed toward, written 15 years later with the benefit of seeing what actually worked, what didn’t, and why. It’s less evangelical and more diagnostic.

On Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0GSJ3VX4R

A regional network of interconnected actors (founders, investors, universities, accelerators, corporations, and governments) whose density, specialization, and trust determine whether startups can actually form, grow, and exit at scale.