Definitely is. 3 years is about the max I have worked anywhere and no one has ever asked me why I change jobs so often. Software industry is more like that too.

What I like about the US is not that you have the money, often you don't, but it's alright to try and screw up. On the academic front, I am not sure that it's quite the same culture though.

Re: Ideas, I am with you. Lots of ideas, but execution .. no comment :)