Even though this topic has been pretty much beaten to death here, it's still interesting to hear other people's takes. OP brings up a couple of good points...
We are not second-class citizens
This only makes sense. When all you need is a computer and a hookup, you are already connected to everyone else. Sure, there's no substitute for physical presence, but good people can be anywhere.
Avoiding the Echo Chamber
Like the frog dropped into cool water in the pot, this is an easy trap to fall into. I went to 4 or 5 events in SV and after a while, the conversations starting running into each other. It seemed like everyone was talking about the same thing, so I had trouble remembering who said what.
Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, but I was always partial to being close to my customers, not my competitors. (This is, of course, in those cases where it makes sense.)
I also loved to see the reference to Pittsburgh, my hometown. Nice people, great universities, 2 hours from 50% of the U.S., low cost of living - hope the startup scene does well here.
You'd think Pitt+CMU, A2+UMich, Champaign+UIUC, and Atlanta+GATech would be hotter startup centers. Graham wrote a big long essay about what makes Palo Alto perfect for startups, but I think the answer mostly boils down to "network effect".
We are not second-class citizens
This only makes sense. When all you need is a computer and a hookup, you are already connected to everyone else. Sure, there's no substitute for physical presence, but good people can be anywhere.
Avoiding the Echo Chamber
Like the frog dropped into cool water in the pot, this is an easy trap to fall into. I went to 4 or 5 events in SV and after a while, the conversations starting running into each other. It seemed like everyone was talking about the same thing, so I had trouble remembering who said what.
Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, but I was always partial to being close to my customers, not my competitors. (This is, of course, in those cases where it makes sense.)
I also loved to see the reference to Pittsburgh, my hometown. Nice people, great universities, 2 hours from 50% of the U.S., low cost of living - hope the startup scene does well here.