Companies mandate going to the office and remote work only became acceptable en masse after the pandemic?

Im not much of english speaker so I wonder if my intuition is right here but its sounds like non sequitor. Why do You think there are no other possible scenarios which explains Silicon Valley existence? Like people herd mentality (even the high inteligent one are not resistant to it) or just simple power accumulation by few that make the decisions where to take up residency? With almost free capital and dollar as world reserve currency current Silicon Valley situation can be solvent by accident just long enough for people like You beliving it as not being irrational.