But I think he missed your point entirely.
I think that's true. A couple of comments in the thread actually helped prove my point.
I like to use the Silicon Valley in the US as an example. People think it's a recent phenomenon. Quite the opposite -- there's a long chain of events leading to the world-changing successes of Apple and Google. Gold Rush (1848) fostered a unique culture of entrepreneurship and risk-taking. Berkeley and Stanford get founded (1868, 1885). Two Stanford grads start Hewlett-Packard (1939) and coin the phrase "Silicon Valley". Academics and hardware intelligencia flock to CA 1950-1970. Commercial application of hardware picks up in 1970-1990. Venture capital kicked in 1980-1990. A world-class educational and academic network created a unique ecosystem. Software followed hardware in the 1990s and attracted top STEM talent from all countries, including the former USSR (those people could have stayed in their old countries, instead, they chose the promise of America). In 2000-2010 the oldtimers got replaced by the next generation of coders.
It took the United States nearly 200 years to build out their innovation and incubation platform. It grew ORGANICALLY. Other than a few local initiatives, the United States didn't go on a crusade to "support homegrown IT". It grew because the soil was fertile. All of the institutions required for something awesome to happen were in place -- the weather, the attitude, the vibe, the talent, the ideas, the time and place in history. Just think of all the support industries that sprung up around this engine of invention -- hospitality, food service, construction, education, utilities, just to name a few. During the Gold Rush times those were saloon keepers, tool makers, farmers, cleaners, courtesans, shoemakers, and they happened to create more wealth than all the prospectors combined.
What's Russia's answer to the Silicon Valley? Skolkovo. A synthetic village disconnected from the grid built in a swamp by an edict of a government official. It can't illustrate my point any better.