
Washington, D.C. has some amazing startups http://started.in/dc - smedawar
http://dc.started.in/
======
rayiner
I grew up in the D.C. area, and as much as I rag on it for being plebe as far
as food/culture goes, it definitely has a much stronger tech scene than people
give it credit for. DC has a very well-established base of technology talent
with a lot of domain-specific knowledge. The talent doesn't take the form of
hot-shot 22 year old Stanford grads, but more very smart people that have been
working at Raytheon, etc, and have deep knowledge of control systems, AI,
image processing, etc. It's a different pool of talent than what VC-funded
startups are typically looking at, but I think it's one that has a lot of
potential for companies who want to work on "hard" problems that require
advances in different problem domains.

The biggest weakness, in my experience working at a D.C.-area startup, is that
it's hard to get the hot-shot 22 year olds when you need them. Virginia Tech
and U MD are good, but I think the nearest really good CS programs might be
CMU in Pittsburgh and maybe GT in Atlanta. Either are quite a hike.

~~~
SeanLuke
> and as much as I rag on it for being plebe as far as food/culture goes

Culture, maybe. Food though? DC's food scene is very surprisingly strong,
particularly in new-immigrant ethnic cuisine. For some cuisines (notably
Ethiopian) it's the best in the country. And of course, it's long been ground
zero for the gourmet hamburger craze.

> The biggest weakness, in my experience working at a D.C.-area startup, is
> that it's hard to get the hot-shot 22 year olds when you need them. Virginia
> Tech and U MD are good, but I think the nearest really good CS programs
> might be CMU in Pittsburgh and maybe GT in Atlanta. Either are quite a hike.

That is an astonishingly high bar. CMU is regarded by many to be the best CS
program in the world.

Maryland's CS program is extremely strong: it usually hovers in the low teens
nationwide. You forgot GMU and UMBC, both quite strong programs (I can
personally vouch for GMU).

~~~
Smirnoff
I can vouch for UMBC. UMBC has a strong talent pool. Sadly, many CS grads end
up working in cyber security in VA, MD or DC. Although, I do personally know a
few who got jobs at Google and Zynga.

I do agree that startups in DC lack young people. I've tried to go to two
hacker/startup meetups in DC. Both times, it sucked. These hackers/startups
guys were too old for me. It just didn't click and I left.

------
mrfusion
Tangential topic .. If there are enough of us, anyone interesting in getting a
meetup going?

(BTW I'd vote for Northern VA for some of the meet up sites)

~~~
rickr
Hello All - Northern VA resident here and I've been trying to get a bit more
'out there'. If we've got a bunch of people out in northern VA interested in
meeting up on April 30th there is a launch party for a new coworking space in
Reston:

[https://nvite.com/refractionlaunch/party](https://nvite.com/refractionlaunch/party)

Is anyone else interested in going?

Also, it's a little more formal but there is a startup weekend in DC:

[http://dc.startupweekend.org](http://dc.startupweekend.org)

~~~
IpxqwidxG
Wow this is cool. Will drop by as I live on the route of Fairfax Connector
950.

~~~
rickr
If you end up going shoot me an email. It's in my profile.

------
segmondy
There are lots of amazing startups in many places.

Ann Arbor in Michigan has amazing startups and has started amazing companies.
[http://madeina2.com](http://madeina2.com)

Even Detroit has amazing start ups.

~~~
nooron
I'm over in Detroit at Core but I used to run my own in A2. Glad to see folks
representing. Are you at one of the companies on MadeinA2?

~~~
segmondy
I'm not in A2, I'm in Detroit area. Not with a startup, maybe one of these
days tho. :)

------
conorgil145
No longer a startup [1], but OPower was founded in 2007 in Arlington, VA
(which is right across the river from DC) [2].

[1]
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/arlin...](http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/arlington-
based-energy-software-provider-opower-will-debut-public-shares-
friday/2014/04/04/078e7ef4-bba6-11e3-96ae-f2c36d2b1245_story.html)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opower)

~~~
smedawar
Awesome! Send them our way!

dc.started.in/apply/

------
Dave_Rosenthal
Not sure if joke... A slightly larger (but still grossly incomplete) list:

[http://proudlymadeindc.com/](http://proudlymadeindc.com/)

And another:

[https://angel.co/washington-dc](https://angel.co/washington-dc)

~~~
smedawar
Thanks for the comment Dave! We love both of those resources, but we're trying
to do something a little different.

Our thought is that it's easier to learn about all the startups in a community
one at a time. Each week we'll post just one startup and get a little more in-
depth than a repository of startups.

It's proven to be valuable in Seattle and Atlanta, so we're hoping we can find
our spot right next to resources like proudlymadeindc.com. If we don't provide
enough value or you see room for improvement, please contact us at any time.
We're always open to ideas.

------
zachcowell
There's been a lot of buzz about SocialRadar around town. I'm surprised no one
has mentioned them yet

[http://www.socialradar.com/](http://www.socialradar.com/)

~~~
smedawar
We reached out to them before our launch. We'd love to see them on the site.

------
smedawar
Today was the launch. Three profiles today and one each week, from here on
out.

I love DC's startup scene!

------
AndrewKemendo
So it sounds like this isn't just limited to D.C. proper based on some of the
comments. To me that makes sense because there are a ton of startups and
talent in the Beltway - and we all consider ourselves living in "D.C."

I am about to take my startup Visidraft full time in September and I know it
will be massively helpful to be linked better with the D.C. startup scene -
which I am already to an extent.

Thanks!

~~~
smedawar
Awesome!

You're right. We want to profile startups in the DC area. You don't have to be
in DC proper.

------
bane
I'd add that one of the token mistakes out of towners make when setting up
shop in "D.C." is to take the name literally. For example, if your target is
in the Fed/Defense space, D.C. is paradoxically probably not the best place to
set up an office. Good luck getting people from McLean, Reston or Springfield
or even Ft. Meade to want to come to a meeting at your office, no/expensive
parking, mass transit doesn't work for most places outside of D.C. (and no
bureaucrat worth their departmental budget is going to take it anyway).

The Baltimore/D.C. metro area should be considered as a whole (about 10
million people!) and for the obvious benefits of being near your customers or
for the synergy effects of being near like-businesses, you _have_ to get to
know the area and should setup shop in those places if you can. _Nobody_ in
the Fed/Defense Space is impressed that you set up an office in a trendy D.C.
neighborhood.

Want to work high tech? The Dulles Tech corridor is where you should look.
That's Virginia and goes 30 miles away from the city. It's the Silicon Valley
of the East and it's slowly getting setup on the Metro system. Want to work
bio? You want Southern Maryland.

I've lived in the D.C. area for a very long time and I see this mistake
repeated again and again. D.C. means the entire region. D.C. (the city) is a
very different thing. It also means that you're constantly dealing with the
three territories here, VA, MD and D.C. and things are different in each of
them, even if nominally they're one big area.

The other one I see is that everybody from out of the area underestimates the
intensity and vagueness of D.C. traffic. I've seen a long list of West
Coasters, who think they understand traffic from around the Bay Area slowly
slip into madness when it comes to facing and dealing with D.C. traffic. It
means that you can't setup a long string of meetings all over the area and
expect that Google Maps's estimate of 15 minutes will make any kind of sense.
On one day it'll be right, and the next it'll turn into an hour and a half
slog and you'll blow through your next 3 meetings just trying to get to them.

D.C. is also very much perception based. You're either with the in-crowd or
you're an outsider. And these two mistakes mark you as an outsider, a rookie
and not a player to very many of the big organizations you might be wanting to
do business with.

------
thecodemonkey
We're [1] also DC-based :)

[1] [http://geocod.io](http://geocod.io)

~~~
zachcowell
Been using geocod.io for a few months now and it's one of the easier geocoding
services I've worked with. Keep up the good work!

~~~
thecodemonkey
Thanks Zach! We have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline :)

------
esamek
You guys are missing us, HelloWallet
[http://www.hellowallet.com](http://www.hellowallet.com)

Been in DC for over 4 years. Have hosted many meetups and we are
growing...very very fast. We are based in the West End, off of 22nd and M st
NW.

We LOVE the DC startup scene. We want to build it out and make it the "Silicon
Capital". :-)

We're also hiring... [http://www.hellowallet.com/about-
us/careers/](http://www.hellowallet.com/about-us/careers/)

~~~
smedawar
Awesome! We love the DC startup scene, too!

Head over to dc.started.in/apply/ and we'll start the profile process. I look
forward to speaking soon!

------
wtvanhest
If you are in DC and raising money, I would highly recommend you talk with
Dingman Center Angels at the University of Maryland. They have financed a lot
of companies over the years and most of which have no affiliation to the
school.

[http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingman-
center...](http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingman-center-
entrepreneurship/initiatives-programs/dingman-center-angels-2)

------
dakridge
I will be adding my company
([https://performyard.com/](https://performyard.com/)) to this list, we are in
Rosslyn.

~~~
smedawar
Awesome! Can't wait!

dc.started.in/apply/

------
conorgil145
I'll tell our founder to add our company, Virtru! We are in DuPont/Adams
Morgan.

Simple encrypted email from your existing email address (eg, Gmail!):
[https://www.virtru.com/what-is-virtru](https://www.virtru.com/what-is-virtru)

~~~
smedawar
Please do.

Great idea by the way!

------
grdvnl
One list I am aware of for LA is [http://represent.la/](http://represent.la/).
Are there other websites which provide information on startups in So. Cal?

~~~
smedawar
Builtinla.com does a good job covering the startup scene in LA. They are more
news than spotlight though.

We're hoping to be down there soon. If you know someone who'd like to curate
startup profiles in LA, we'd love to talk with them.

~~~
grdvnl
I am not aware of anyone. Would love to see this information on LA. Let me
know if there is something I can do to help!

------
raffi
I've lived in DC for nearly five years and I run a software company here. Here
are my thoughts:

1\. The quality of life here is very high. I believe this is probably one of
the best places in the US for young professionals (its reputation hasn't
caught up with it yet).

* We have a strong bike sharing program and decent biking infrastructure. I'm not a biker and I use this most days now.

* I recently got rid of my car. I simply didn't need it. I can walk in four directions to neighborhoods with great restaurants. I also have several grocery stores within walking distance.

* The North West part of the city is very clean.

* I don't own a car. So long as I live here--I will not need a car.

* When I want to go running, Rock Creek Park is nearby. Same for the National Mall. If I want to go Kayaking on the Potomac, it's a longer walk, but I can hit a Dept. of Parks and Recreation boathouse and get a kayak.

* DC has a short-ish winter. We get one and it gets cold. Some days we get snow the city doesn't know what to do with. Overall though, January and February are the worst of it. Sometimes we get hints of Spring in March. April, Spring is usually here full bore. Spring and Fall here are beautiful. I'm from MI and I lived in Syracuse, NY. I judge weather through this lens.

2\. DC is very expensive. I incorporated in DC and I suspect the city took a
cue from the Spanish government in terms of forms and prerequisite forms and
licenses one must acquire to start a business. They claim they're pro-startup.
I don't see it. I just see a bureaucracy that nickels and dimes small
businesses. Taxes are high too.

3\. For my sector (cyber security) and the types of customers I have; DC is
the perfect home base. I'm close to my customers and potential strategic
partners. We even have a cyber security related accelerator in Northern
Virginia. I see the concentration of folks and businesses in my industry as a
big plus.

4\. I travel a lot for my business. If I need to go to NYC--I take the Accela
and I'm there in three hours. If I need to get into the suburbs of MD, I use
the MARC train. If I need to fly, I have three airports to choose from. The
closest airport (Reagan) is a 15-20 minute cab ride.

5\. We have had a massive growth of startup and coworking spaces in the past
two years. I don't know where they all came from--but it's insane. If you're
looking for semi-affordable office space co-located around other startups--
you'll find something here, probably walking distance from where you live.

6\. DC benefits from a flood of ambitious folks who want to change the world
and start their career here. When I moved here, I expected a scene of lawyers,
lobbyists, politicians, and their hanger-ons. It's not like that at all here.
This is a very ambitious city with people who work very hard to make things
happen. I like its energy and this is probably where I will stay.

~~~
cheetahtech
Im a 29 year old. Moved to DC 5 years ago and if your job doesn't pay well,
you won't have the means to buy a house. Housing is the biggest downfall here.
They are just vastly too expensive.

Hiring? C# & .NET pro here.

~~~
rayiner
I've been surprised by the affordability of houses in Northwest DC.

------
mattgreenrocks
Nice job, will be checking in periodically.

Aside: when will LivingSocial be there? ;)

~~~
smedawar
Anyone can apply. :)

I'm sure they'd make the cut.

dc.started.in/apply/

------
IpxqwidxG
Alright, if it's about amazing startups of DC then please add
[https://bubbl.in](https://bubbl.in) to this list too ... :)

We're all about flipbooks, started in 2014 at Reston area.

~~~
smedawar
:) Head on over to dc.started.in/apply/ and we'll get you queued up.

