--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Silicon Valley companies are not…" description: "\"The Silicon Valley companies are not understating that they are so politically and socially and culturally central in the world. They would probably ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/ramesh-srinivasan-30470_lots-of-friends_the-silicon-valley-companies-are-not-und_479535.jpg" --- # The Silicon Valley companies are not understating that… ![“The Silicon Valley companies are not understating that they are so politically and socially and culturally central in the world. They would probably never have thought that they would become like this. But now that they are, what are they gonna do about it? I have a lots of friends who work in…” quote by Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/ramesh-srinivasan-30470_lots-of-friends_the-silicon-valley-companies-are-not-und_479535.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/ramesh-srinivasan-30470_lots-of-friends_the-silicon-valley-companies-are-not-und_479535.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4f/ramesh-srinivasan-30470_lots-of-friends_the-silicon-valley-companies-are-not-und_479535.jpg) > “The Silicon Valley companies are not understating that they are so politically and socially and culturally central in the world. They would probably never have thought that they would become like this. But now that they are, what are they gonna do about it? I have a lots of friends who work in these companies: it's about taking responsibility.” [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tech giants have become central to politics, society, and culture, and must acknowledge and act on their influence. **In simple terms:** Tech firms are now powerful cultural forces that need to act responsibly. Key Takeaway Accept responsibility and shape ethical policies. Themes responsibility power ethics technology society Mood concerned reflective Type commentary call‑to‑action When to use this quote - policy development - public advocacy - internal ethics training - community engagement Key Concepts corporate governance social impact political influence Questions to Reflect On - How can companies balance profit with social responsibility? - What concrete steps can they take today? A Different Perspective Balancing profit motives with societal duties can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lots of friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lots-of-friends/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Silicon valley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon-valley/) [Taking responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-responsibility/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [These big Silicon Valley companies that are popping up are projecting growth skyrocketing in a few years. So they need a space they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-pearse-connelly/these-big-silicon-valley-companies-that-are-popping-up-are-projecting/) [James Pearse Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-pearse-connelly/) > [Many companies are disappointing the citizens of this world by manipulating labor rates, putting horse meat instead of beef out there, or thinking it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/many-companies-are-disappointing-the-citizens-of-this-world-by/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [The life insurance industry is filled with good people who believe in their work and their companies, but who may never have challenged the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-tobias/the-life-insurance-industry-is-filled-with-good-people-who-believe-in/) [Andrew Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-tobias/) > [I was very determined and excited to get back in the ring and do it on my own time and schedule and to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenille-dashwood/i-was-very-determined-and-excited-to-get-back-in-the-ring-and-do-it/) [Tenille Dashwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenille-dashwood/) > [“Most economists are accustomed to treating companies as idyllic places where everyone is devoted to a common goal: making as much money as possible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/most-economists-are-accustomed-to-treating-companies-as-idyllic/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [In 2012, 40 of the top companies to work for were also among the top companies in social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-baer/in-2012-40-of-the-top-companies-to-work-for-were-also-among-the-top/) [Jay Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-baer/) > [The point of Silicon Valley at least when I moved here was we're all trying to do stuff and none of us quite felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamath-palihapitiya/the-point-of-silicon-valley-at-least-when-i-moved-here-was-we-re-all/) [Chamath Palihapitiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamath-palihapitiya/) > [You look around the world at geniuses, and they don't appear randomly, they appear in genius clusters. Athens in 50 BC, Florence 1500, Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/you-look-around-the-world-at-geniuses-and-they-don-t-appear-randomly/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Silicon Valley is like Wall Street in that it will fill and pursue market opportunities to their logical extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/silicon-valley-is-like-wall-street-in-that-it-will-fill-and-pursue/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) > [Silicon Valley does not breed great technology. Instead, the smartest people from around the world tend to move to Silicon Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-collison/silicon-valley-does-not-breed-great-technology-instead-the-smartest/) [Patrick Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-collison/) > [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [Autism is a big continuum, going from someone who remains nonverbal, all the way up to geniuses on Silicon Valley. And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [The reason why Silicon Valley is a worldwide innovation center is because it is a open culture that embraces diversity. You see people from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/the-reason-why-silicon-valley-is-a-worldwide-innovation-center-is/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [Sometimes it feels hard to remember that Silicon Valley is an actual place, a collage of parched suburbs, and not just the collective noun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/sometimes-it-feels-hard-to-remember-that-silicon-valley-is-an-actual/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## More by Ramesh Srinivasan > [We are at a moment that some of the Silicon Valley companies are feeling the pressure. These days the founder of Twitter apologized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/we-are-at-a-moment-that-some-of-the-silicon-valley-companies-are/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [Marshall McLuhan prediction was some kind of electronic communication technology would emerge to instantaneously connect the world so much so that the whole globe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/marshall-mcluhan-prediction-was-some-kind-of-electronic-communication/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [Technology is nothing but an expression of human values. It's not neutral, it's not about efficiency, it's about people's values and their knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/technology-is-nothing-but-an-expression-of-human-values-it-s-not/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [If you create networks that allow people in their own local systems to have power and agency and sovereignty in their own systems. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/if-you-create-networks-that-allow-people-in-their-own-local-systems/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [The point I'm trying to make is if these networks of communication technologies are owned, monetized, surveilled, and classified by those with power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/the-point-i-m-trying-to-make-is-if-these-networks-of-communication/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [When I was in graduate school at MIT I was trying to think about how to develop software and systems for farmers and villagers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/when-i-was-in-graduate-school-at-mit-i-was-trying-to-think-about-how/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [If you share information widely, but you present that information in ways that fits your own view, you're actually still misrepresenting. So instead what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/if-you-share-information-widely-but-you-present-that-information-in/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [In its early days the Internet seem to be a counter cultural space and an anti corporate space, now is the place for corporate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/in-its-early-days-the-internet-seem-to-be-a-counter-cultural-space/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [You could kind of be free and expressive but you already knew when you joined the internet, you knew that you should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/you-could-kind-of-be-free-and-expressive-but-you-already-knew-when/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [I am a former engineer and I was really excited about the possibility of building better technology to serve humanity. A lot of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/i-am-a-former-engineer-and-i-was-really-excited-about-the-possibility/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [I'm really interested not just in privacy for the individual but respect for the local communities. And I think we have a problem with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/i-m-really-interested-not-just-in-privacy-for-the-individual-but/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [We are getting close to the point where as every platform of tech that has any level of scale gets bought by either Google…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/we-are-getting-close-to-the-point-where-as-every-platform-of-tech/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [This is what engineers in Silicon Valley typically do. "Ok, well, of course there are some problems of our technology because it is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/this-is-what-engineers-in-silicon-valley-typically-do-ok-well-of/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [Fake news is a product of the internet that is not transparent. Fake news can spread online because as users we have no idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/fake-news-is-a-product-of-the-internet-that-is-not-transparent-fake/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) > [I think the governments need to encourage internet companies and convince them that they can be extremely profitable without necessarily spiraling out of control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-srinivasan/i-think-the-governments-need-to-encourage-internet-companies-and/) [Ramesh Srinivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) [Explore all 17 Ramesh Srinivasan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-srinivasan/) ## More Lots of friends quotes > [If I look at the performance of another friend Sting, whenever I hear him take over a stage and share his art with millions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/if-i-look-at-the-performance-of-another-friend-sting-whenever-i-hear/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) > [I went through a really good-looking phase from birth to 9. And then things went crazy. I don't know what happened, but between 9…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-milioti/i-went-through-a-really-good-looking-phase-from-birth-to-9-and-then/) [Cristin Milioti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-milioti/) > [We'll settle in Nashville. I love it there. I've got lots of friends there now, I love the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-fisher/we-ll-settle-in-nashville-i-love-it-there-i-ve-got-lots-of-friends/) [Mike Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-fisher/) > [I used to think that having lots of friends meant that you were happy. That's really not true. Having the right friends means that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-benincasa/i-used-to-think-that-having-lots-of-friends-meant-that-you-were-happy/) [Sara Benincasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-benincasa/) > [I've seen a lot of friends who have a lot of great projects, whether it's a script or a play or whatever, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-friends-who-have-a-lot-of-great-projects-whether/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [“I try to tell the teacher, you know. I don't give a fuck about geometry or English. Like I'm probably going to drive a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bradfield/i-try-to-tell-the-teacher-you-know-i-don-t-give-a-fuck-about-geometry/) [Scott Bradfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bradfield/) > [Ivory's the kind of girl who gets drunk and immediately starts slurring. I have a lot of friends like that, and I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/ivory-s-the-kind-of-girl-who-gets-drunk-and-immediately-starts/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [I had a lot of friends that were extremely hedonistic, extremely debauched, swapping partners etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-anderton/i-had-a-lot-of-friends-that-were-extremely-hedonistic-extremely/) [Sophie Anderton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-anderton/) > [I use to have lots of friends; now I have less, but much more acquaintances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anag/i-use-to-have-lots-of-friends-now-i-have-less-but-much-more/) AnaG > [I have a lot of friends who come from alcoholic families, and they aren't alcoholics, because someone explained it to them. When I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/i-have-a-lot-of-friends-who-come-from-alcoholic-families-and-they/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [Friends make life a lot more fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/friends-make-life-a-lot-more-fun/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [I had been a kid that moved so much, I didn’t have a lot of friends. Theater really represented that kind of camaraderie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/i-had-been-a-kid-that-moved-so-much-i-didn-t-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [New York is what Paris was in the twenties. . . the center of the art world. And we want to be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/new-york-is-what-paris-was-in-the-twenties-the-center-of-the-art/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I don't like to fly. I've never been a good flyer. I have a lot of friends that have permanent nail marks in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-don-t-like-to-fly-i-ve-never-been-a-good-flyer-i-have-a-lot-of/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) [Browse all 191 Lots of friends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lots-of-friends/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Silicon Valley companies are not understating that they are so politically and socially and culturally central in the world. They would probably never have thought that they would become like this. But now that they are, what are they gonna do about it? 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