[poconopundit]

As a tech journalist, the term Silicon Valley really refers to a worldwide savvy in running tech companies. I know and have interviewed a few Indian CEOs and CIOs (in the U.S. India, and the UK). I think there are a number of factors working for them:

• Strong emphasis on schooling, academics, and STEM training.

• Strong family, religious, national, cultural and even food heritage, which unites them in a network.

• The Hindu religion and associated philosophy questions has a myriad of gods and stories, so having to sort them all out makes them adept at juggling many ideas.

• Indians learn multiple languages (same as Jewish people) and that heightens the associative power of the brain.

• English is either their first or second language. And so, they have a natural advantage over the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese who are just as smart, but lack skill in that all-important English factor, which makes a difference when it comes to managing Americans and Brits.

• The Indians are great conversationalists, love to talk, and don't hide the fact that they are rascals (as all human being are). So this quality means they can joke around and relate well with (and manage) Americans easier than other foreign cultures that are more reserved.

But I don't claim my opinion is scientific. These are hunches of mine. What say you, FReepers?

[aquila48]

All those things you list are signs of high IQ.

The values that lead to a successful life are the result of recognizing and appreciating cause and effect, especially long term cause and effect. Connecting the dots, if you will. Or identifying patterns.

And IQ is mostly pattern recognition.

[rlmorel]

Well, to a large degree, if we are talking Indian characteristics, there is a lot there I agree with. I have worked with a lot of Indians in the medical/IT field, and one of the most professionally brilliant, hardworking, congenial, considerate, and down to earth people I have ever worked with is a SQL engineer who REALLY knows his stuff. I admire him greatly.

But I also know some Indians who simply don’t know their stuff, are lazy, and hard to work with.

Overall...the same can be said of nearly any race or sex, professionally speaking.

I do feel that, in most Indians (not all) there is an unbridgeable cultural gap of varying size, and I admit, I don’t like that. I have always admired Dinesh D’Souza, because from afar, I do not sense that gap at all.

In someone like Dinesh D’Souza, I feel emotionally in listening to him whenever I have heard him speak extemporaneously, that he is a fully acclimated...American. I don’t get that from all Indians. I feel that many of them have two separate masks they put on, and that places distance between us as Americans, in which I get the impression, is fully acceptable and desirable to them.

I also have the gut feeling that in the IT world, Indians are biased towards Indian subordinates/colleagues and will hire them preferentially. This doesn’t seem as much of an issue in the medical side, but they are mostly physicians and not in a hiring capacity, if that makes sense.

All that said, most Indians I have known, both immigrated and native born as Americans, have a fine sense of humor once you know them and can be, on a personal level, quite congenial.

[rlmorel]

And, I will also say...I am not a fan of outsourcing customer support to India. I abhor the practice. I know why it is done, but I think you largely alienate American customers by doing so.

And it isn’t due to inherent racism. IT support from India is VERY spotty, and more often worse rather than better.

I attribute it to a large degree of cultural difference. That comes across to me as a consumer of IT Support both personal and professional. I cannot say they wouldn’t think the same of customer support they get in India that is based in the USA, but I feel that paying more to staff customer support in the USA is well worth the money even if they may be less professionally capable.

Just my opinion.

[rlmorel]

And, I need to add, this guy they appointed to head Twitter is an example of the absolute worst of Indian corporate or IT leadership or professionalism.

He is scum.

[central_va]

I say F off. Americans got screwed by H-1B and stop going into IT. Blame the victim. Move to India if you love them do...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks poconopundit.

[9YearLurker]

The Koreans tend to learn English well.

And lots of Chinese over here on spying assignments.

But many Indians and many smart Indians competing in a country where by far tech presents the greatest opportunity—and tech in the US often the very greatest opportunity.