What a surprise to see my afternoon pondering on the front page. Thanks for all the responses!
To get a little more specific with my point of inquiry, is in person networking in silicon valley better than networking by making cool things and showing people (on the web).
I've been disappointed in the past with all my in person networking (not in the valley). The signal to noise ratio has always been terrible. My hypothesis is that its better to make cool things (with tech) and show people (on the web) and meet allies and fellow travelers that way. This type of networking gives you access to the entire world, and should be much more efficient than meat space.