Thiel’s well-established as a total schmuck. That said: If you’re very talented and in tech and you love rabid competition and you want to compete for the things held out as major prizes in your field and you’re not an academic, then yes, he’s right. If on the other hand you’re very talented and don’t care about the things held out as major prizes in your field or are an academic, then no.
If you live away from centers of rabid competition, though, it will likely hurt your career, because in some measure you’ll fall asleep. You just won’t be forced the way you otherwise would, and you won’t be reminded of the pace to keep. The people who’d ordinarily bring the most energetic and interesting conversation will not be there. I’m not especially interested in competing or the big prizes, but if I had it to do over, and I wasn’t going to be a single mom, I wouldn’t have spent my adult life in flyover country.
wis75, if you’re extremely talented, then using the talent fully is part of quality of life.