So there’s been a ton of chatter online about which is the better place to start a tech company, and even a challenge was made. My friends also have been long pressuring me to move to the bay area to kick start my tech career. I’ll break down why I think NY is a great place for me to be:
People in NY have a good bullshit detector – If you aren’t serious about what you’re doing, NYC will eat you up and kick you to the curb. People in New York don’t really have time for bullshit. They want to know what you’re doing and they want you to explain it in 1 sentence. I’m not talking about VC’s or Angel’s either… i’m talking about my friends. I’ll admit at times, I’m a little all-over-the-place because of my ADD and bringing my ideas to my friends forces me to come up with a congruent thought that they can understand.
Small Community – You’d imagine this would be a bad thing, but I’m beginning to think that this is a good thing. I think I have more access to VC’s and Angels in the area because there are a handful around. Granted I haven’t talked to any (yet), but I do see them frequently at Meetups and other various events.
Lets go grab a beer after work – Most people think that Silicon Valley would be a great place to socialize, but from what I can see, it’s not! Most people don’t grab beers after work and only can do things with people who live near each other. My favorite thing about working at my first corporate job was that every thursday we would go get trashed at a bar in the city and I could take a cab home and only worry about where I was going to puke and not about how I was going to actually get home.
Innovative Community not just in tech – New York is a cross section of several industries – fashion, finance, technology, advertising, sports, and media. While I think you definitely will continue to see really hard core technology come out of the Valley, I believe you’ll really start to see more innovative technology (while maybe not being too hard-core tech) come out of these other areas from NY companies – ie. stackoverflow, gilt group, foursquare. While we may not be as techie as the Valley (yet), we are pushing the boundaries when it comes to these other industries.
I can’t get a fucking coffee without driving – Sorry, SV… NY is just way too convenient to get stuff like cofee. If I want a coffee I wake up, walk down the block and get one. In SF I have to get in my car, drive to a local spot. UNACCEPTABLE.
Startup finances can be confusing – What better place to get advice than a city known for finance!
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere – Doing a startup here is definitely not without its challenges. I’d call them out, but I don’t want to add to the criticisms out there on the net. But if it isn’t a challenge, where would the fun be in doing a startup! In Brazilian Jujitsu, you’re constantly put to the test at the end of every class. People choke you to the point where you’re seeing stars, put you in armlocks that make your arm feel like it’s going to break, put your joints in positions they’re not supposed to go in. But you know what? At end of every class you’re better for it. Your brain tells you, ‘holy shit dave, you can take the pain, you can deal with it, now figure a way out, figure out a counter’. Same thing with this startup stuff, i’ve been at it for 4 years now, while it hasn’t worked out (yet), i’ve learned so much along the way and i’ve been stretched to my boundaries and I haven’t broken yet! Eventually I know i’ll get that triangle choke on an idea. And when I do, you better get ready to tap!
