How Silicon Valley Really Started — In Under 2 Minutes

Everyone knows Silicon Valley as the global capital of innovation. But few realize that, not long ago, Cupertino was better known for plums than processors.

In a fascinating talk (video below), Stanford historian Leslie Berlin walks us through the Valley’s unlikely transformation — from orchards to microchips, from counterculture protests to billion‑dollar startups.

🌳 From Fruit Orchards to Future Tech

In 1969, the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” was still covered in apricot and plum orchards. Kids earned pocket money picking fruit. Meanwhile, a young tech scene was quietly forming:

• Hewlett‑Packard was already 30 years old
• Fairchild Semiconductor had launched the microchip revolution
• Intel was just getting started
• The population tripled in 20 years

The ingredients for something big were coming together.

💻 When Computers Were Weird (and Wildly Expensive)

Berlin highlights just how foreign computers once felt. Her best example: the Honeywell Kitchen Computer, sold in the 1969 Neiman Marcus catalog for the equivalent of $70 USD,000. It stored recipes. It came with an apron. Not a single unit sold.

This was the world before personal computing — a world on the brink of change.

✊ Rebellion Meets Innovation

The late ’60s Bay Area was also a center of political unrest. Young engineers wanted nothing to do with the military‑industrial complex. Instead, they gravitated toward small, independent companies where they could build technology on their own terms.

That rebellious spirit helped shape the Valley’s identity.

🧬 The Birth of Modern Tech

Between 1969 and 1976, five major industries were born within 35 miles:

• personal computing
• video games
• biotechnology
• modern venture capital
• advanced semiconductors

Berlin’s book Troublemakers tells the story of the lesser‑known people who made it happen — the engineers, operators, and risk‑takers who rarely get credit but changed the world.

🎥 Watch the Talk That Inspired This Post

The blog post you’re reading is based on the video below — a conversation featuring Leslie Berlin and Stanford historian David Kennedy. It’s a deep dive into the real origins of Silicon Valley, full of surprising stories and sharp insights.