Brad Feld: There is no playbook for building the next Silicon Valley Image: Brad Feld At Future Human, investor and author Brad Feld explained why start-up communities are complex systems that can’t be replicated by simply copying Silicon Valley. Brad Feld first expounded the concept of start-up communities in his 2012 book, suitably titled Startup Communities. This was followed up in 2020 with The Startup Community Way: Evolving an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, written in collaboration with analyst and strategic adviser Ian Hathaway. While he has written many more books, Feld is best known as an investor. He co-founded the venture capital firm Foundry Group in Boulder, Colorado, where he lives with his wife, Amy Batchelor.