"Yes, ambitious people go to these tech "Meccas" but I don't think it really increases any one individual person's chance of making it big."
How can this be true if you admit a large number of startups come out SF or NYC?
How can this be true if you admit a large number of startups come out SF or NYC?
By construction, 70% of successes come out of SF or NYC despite the fact that being in SF or NYC is unhelpful. Large number in -> large number out. "A large number of startups come out of SF or NYC" is guaranteed by the premise you're questioning, "ambitious people go to these tech 'Meccas'". It's about as far from a contradiction as you can get.
In much the same way, moving to SF may "double" your chance of winning the startup lottery. And buying two actual lottery tickets gives you twice as many chances of winning the jackpot.