

Can Technology Redefine Detroit? - BallinBige
http://www.growdetroit.com/can-technology-redefine-detroit/

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kscottz
I moved back to Ann Arbor from NYC about six months ago. I think I had to move
to New York to see how truly awesome things are here. There is a lot top notch
technical talent, the cost of living is low, and abundant cheap space makes it
a startup's dream. The quality of life in Ann Arbor is very good, particularly
if you want to start a family. To be honest a lot of the really talented
people I met in NYC were midwest ex-pats looking for work.

Our start-up is banking on the notion that things are coming full circle for
technology, and that we'll see a shift from consumer facing web-applications
to physical hardware. Lately it seems that the New York Times agrees:

[http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/technology/silicon-
vall...](http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/technology/silicon-valleys-
hardware-renaissance.xml)

[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/new-wave-of-
adept...](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/new-wave-of-adept-robots-
is-changing-global-industry.html?pagewanted=all)

~~~
growdetroit
Hi K, I remember your name from previous threads on this topic. Would love to
meet you in Ann Arbor for coffee and learn more about what ya'll are working
on.

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rmason
I grew up in Detroit when it was at its peak, then I watched it crash and
burn. Though I live outstate I've been in Detroit at least monthly for the
past two years and am convinced that I am witnessing its rebirth.

Detroit is like a startup there is huge opportunity with a capital O along
with huge risk. As a result Detroit has become a magnet for ambitious young
people.

The city's despair has made it open to bold ideas where you'd never get a
hearing anywhere else.

Want to start a farm? The city will sell you the land and even tear the
buildings down for you.

Want to own a skyscraper? Detroit has over fifty for sale and according to the
Wall Street Journal they're at the lowest prices anywhere in the world.

[http://www.dailywealth.com/952/The-Cheapest-Skyscrapers-
In-T...](http://www.dailywealth.com/952/The-Cheapest-Skyscrapers-In-The-World)

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rglover
I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I live in Ann Arbor (about
an hour west of Detroit) and the area does seem primed for a revolution. I
think it will take a handful of well-known people to say "this is the next
spot" for everything to explode. Hopefully this conf is the start of that.

~~~
growdetroit
One, thanks for reading (and whoever posted, thank you). I agree with you,
personally I think it's a combination of needing more local success stories,
as well as recognition by the Nat'l Startup community that we have something
to bring to the dance.

Folks like Steve Blank seem to be taking note of the region's efforts. We
hosted him last month and his investment into the Michigan eLab (Venture Fund)
in your neck of the woods (Ann Arbor) seems to be a strong indicator that
something is here...

~~~
freehunter
I've been trying to get Detroit recognized as a start-up success story [1] for
a few months here on HN. For those living in Detroit, the turn-around might be
hard to see. I live in West Michigan, and in the past decade I've noticed a
huge change in the Detroit area. I only visit Detroit a couple times per year,
but every time I come by there's something new that surprises me. In the last
few years, I've even taken to parking and walking some streets that I wouldn't
have previously.

I could even see myself taking employment in Detroit; maybe not today, maybe
not tomorrow, but the city is getting there. Mitt Romney might have famously
called to let Detroit go bankrupt, but all it really needed was some investors
who cared enough to force a paradigm shift. Look at Detroit startups such as
Neowin, Fathead, Stardock, etc.

[1] <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3923825>

~~~
jerf
"Mitt Romney might have famously called to let Detroit go bankrupt, but all it
really needed was some investors who cared enough to force a paradigm shift."

Those two things are unrelated. Bankruptcy doesn't mean the city physically
disappears or anything. The reason one declares bankruptcy is to clear debts
(in a fairly drastic way), which opens capital up to do things other than
service debt. It may yet be a necessary or desirable step.

~~~
freehunter
You're right, Detroit hasn't avoided bankruptcy yet. Like you said, though,
bankruptcy is drastic and has consequences. It could be possible to rebuild
without suffering that blow _and_ without a bailout.

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smurph
I think one or two big time tech company campuses would make a world of
difference in downtown Detroit. Open a big dev shop, recruit underpaid people
from local companies and best and brightest from Big 10 schools. Just please,
don't feel obligated to focus on automotive customers just because you're in
Detroit.

~~~
mgkimsal
what will make more difference is grocery stores and other amenities people
need to live in an area. tech campuses that bring people to work, then drive
back to the suburbs... not enough to build sustainable changes. everything
will be at the whim of the people deciding to place businesses there (for
charitable reasons, or other), instead of any locals having any say or needs
to fulfill.

~~~
klous
There is a "grocery store" myth related to Detroit, and it is just that, a
myth. There a numerous markets and stores in Midtown and Downtown that supply
fresh food to residents.

Edit: I lived downtown for nearly a year and a number of grocery stores opened
in the downtown business district while I lived there, with plans for more.
According to this article [1] from 5 days ago, there are 80 grocery stores in
Detroit. Not to mention the awesome Eastern Market year-round farmer's market.

[1] [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-walljasper/detroit-
fresh-f...](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-walljasper/detroit-fresh-
food_b_1821511.html)

~~~
growdetroit
Would love to have you build on this...do you live in the area?

~~~
smalter
I used to live in Eastern Market in Downtown and could get fresh food there
all the time.

Edit: You can buy fresh everything in Eastern Market every day of the week,
not just during the market on Sundays.

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msdet11
I've also thought quite a bit about this the past year. I moved to downtown
Detroit after graduating from school, and I absolutely love it down here.
Granted it isn't as bustling as the valley or SF, but we are slowly building a
community of super talented individuals. Hopefully Techonomy can get a few
more people out of the woodwork and interested in the community. I'm
personally very interested in who is bootstrapping their business from the
ground up. I have been doing so for about a year and it has been working out
great.

~~~
fortes
Out of curiosity -- what makes Detroit special (aside from cost)? Why would
Detroit be a better choice for Tech than other 2nd tier centers?

~~~
msdet11
Personally I'd say it would depend on the type of software a particular
company is making. I think advancements in health tech have a ton of potential
here with some of the research going on at the academic centers in the area
(Wayne State, Karmanos, Henry Ford Health System, DMC, and outlying areas like
UofM and MSU). Enterprise software while not as sexy would also probably be a
good fit here as well. If an entrepreneur can make solid connections with the
autos and outlying manufacturers and suppliers it can really give you some
nice profit and list of clientele that is impressive. Other sorts of software
startups may have a tougher time here due to the lack of coverage we get
compared to other cities and Valley/SF. While we have DVP, Bizdom, and
Compuware ventures it is also tougher to find funding then some areas. There
are downsides to the city, but I've grown up in the area since I was born so
my connection to it is fairly deep and I really want to see the city flourish
as it once did.

~~~
growdetroit
Totally agree with your perspective on enterprise software, and inroads to the
auto/suppliers/etc being a tremendous opportunity.

I initially thought the same about lack of funding, but it is not true. There
are numerous funds as well as angel investors across the state of Michigan
that are poorly connected, and historically as a region we've done a poor job
of highlighting accomplishments of up-and-comers. We're trying to improve this
dynamic.

~~~
msdet11
Interesting. If that dynamic improved I believe that'd be a huge asset to the
region. What are your thoughts on health tech in the area? One of my projects
is pretty focused on improving the lives of researchers, and I've found this
area has quite a few institutions looking to become more cutting edge.

~~~
growdetroit
We hosted Scott Case (Founding CTO of Priceline.com) at an event in Grand
Rapids last week, covering the implications that the JOBS act will have on the
Entrepreneurial and Investment communities alike.

It was...to date, the strongest representation of Michigan VCs I've ever seen
gathered together at the same time. Absolutely overwhelmed by this group and
the interest they had in health tech in the region.

At the same time, had the privilege of meeting a young Entrepreneur who went
from founding Avomeen, to creating a very young startup called Labdoor. He's
out of Ann Arbor. I'd bet on this kid in a second...he'll do massive things.

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lrs
What's the idea behind that "Submit a Story" uncollapsible floating tab on the
left side of the page? Seems like you're obstructing a pretty important,
content-dense part of the screen with something unimportant and obnoxious that
doesn't even generate revenue. Please reconsider this design.

EDIT: It's come to my attention that this only appears to be an issue at
1024x768, which I'm currently using because I'm at work and my employer's
computer hardware is ancient. This is probably not a problem for the typical
user.

~~~
growdetroit
Reconsidered.

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manglav
$500 for a ticket? As a student, I'd love to go, but that's a little much.
Does anyone know of any student tickets, or company sponsoring tickets? I'll
wear as much company swag as you want, and be there the whole day.

~~~
growdetroit
There are a few opportunities for student outreach from what I've heard.
Contact us and we'll see if we can connect you to someone that can help.

~~~
manglav
Couldn't find an email on growdetroit.com, so I facebook messaged you. Thanks
for the help! I really appreciate it.

