Almost all the most successful SV companies don't require exceptional talent. Most of the "big names" have a tiny fraction of their engineering organization that has to be truly exceptional.

The problem is that, at least based on my experience (I worked in the Midwest and the south east for over a decade ending a few years ago), the vast majority of "talent" in the midwest is below even the mediocre requirements of most SV/VC companies. No amount of persistence can overcome that.