

Ask YC: Ideal location for a non-VC startup? - crescendo

I've seen some discussion here on the bay area, and how it's not necessarily the right place to be for a non-VC-backed startup. So the question is this: if you had the choice of running your company from any city in the U.S., which one would it be and why?<p>I'm in the process of deciding where to move right now, and was wondering which places have the best social and professional environment for geek-entrepreneur types?
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SwellJoe
The one near your biggest customer(s).

But, some other factors make the valley great for tech business, and similar
elements in other cities would be similarly valuable. Good schools nearby,
nice culture and decent weather so smart people like to live there, low
friction living so those smart people can focus on their work rather than on
getting by (this can mean a lot of things, but I think places where long
commutes are the norm is probably a negative), enough of the support
infrastructure necessary for running a tech business (tech-knowledgeable legal
services, accountants, PR/marketing, etc.).

I'd think this narrows it down to a few areas in the US, roughly in order of
goodness: Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Research Triangle in NC, Seattle
(sucky weather, though), New York, Chicago, Houston (too spread out, so long
commutes, and hot muggy weather), Pittsburgh, Dallas/Fort Worth, Portland (too
cold!), Boulder, and probably a few others.

But, again, your biggest customers can determine your success or failure more
than almost any other element, and being near them makes them more likely to
work with you. If you're working for oil and gas companies, you'd want to be
in Texas (Austin, probably, but any major city will do). If you're working for
the federal government or military, you'd obviously want to be in D.C. or
Virginia. If you're working for car manufacturers, Ann Arbor (because Detroit
is still too much of a shithole--though you could get some bargains on
housing, and it does seem to be having some sort of resurgence). I'm working
in the hosting industry, so I need to be in Texas or the bay area (or both--
which is probably how it'll shake out by next year).

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menloparkbum
FWIW Portland's average yearly temperature is exactly the same as San
Francisco's. It gets about 10 degrees colder in the winter but makes up for it
by being 10-20 degrees warmer in the summer. It is a wonderful place to live
and hang out but is totally overrated as a good place to start a tech
business.

Just curious as to why you put "too cold" next to Portland but not next to the
places that are actually cold. Maybe you're talking about the one in Maine?
;-)

~~~
SwellJoe
_Just curious as to why you put "too cold" next to Portland but not next to
the places that are actually cold._

San Francisco is also too cold. I live in Mountain View which is 10-15 degrees
warmer.

Just assume that any place colder than SF is too cold for my tastes. (But then
again, I've been warped by living in Texas for many years before coming to the
valley.)

