At the Web2.0 conference last week, John Doerr made a powerful argument for why America needs to address our supply of talented scientists. Part of his proposed solution is:
with a degree in the physical sciences or engineering in the United
States."
Now that is a great idea for long-term economic stimulus.
It is often overlooked how important immigration policy is to tech startups in the United States. Entrepreneurs must battle with companies like IBM, Google, and Microsoft to attract the best talent from US and global universities . . . a battle that is made more difficult by a struggling economy with fewer opportunities for a big IPO payday. Immigration is clearly not an alternative to making the necessary changes to our education system, but the government must create an immigration policy that enables both American technology giants and startups to obtain the foreign-born talent they need.