There is a large and vital medical device corridor in the suburbs east of Los Angeles. It stretches from the Anaheim/Yorba Linda area south through Irvine and down toward San Diego. For instance, some of the best work in the world on ventilators goes on in this area. Two of the globally dominant medical device companies that specialize in this discipline are headquartered here. I was involved in a medical device startup in this area, and later switched to software R&D at a larger company. By contrast with the media glitz and general buzz described in the article, this industry is a bit straight-laced or "square". However, personally I have found that nothing compares to spending a few months on a project that will improve outcomes of premature babies in neonatal ICU's. This LA-based concentration of medical device expertise is a low-key hidden gem in this area.