Ask YC: How important is location when your startup isn't looking for lots of VC money? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask YC: How important is location when your startup isn't looking for lots of VC money?

#11

Post by cmm324 » Wed, Apr 16, 2008, 1:36 AM UTC

SwellJoe wrote: post #5

I've asked this before, but it bears repeating: Have there been many wildly successful tech startups that were based on the premise "save money", to the point that they located themselves some place incredibly cheap (but far outside of tech industry circles)? I'm not saying it isn't a valid business plan, as I don't know, but I can point to an awful lot of Silicon Valley startups that have been wildly successful, and…

My thoughts are this... You are in a low tech town, but you have a startup where you do not plan to get funding.

Well then your ultimate goal is to get exposure and users. How do you get exposure to the press in Silicon Valley if you are in Winnipeg (dont know that is where you are from but its a start)?

A blog, being part of the communities that they are apart of. Social networking sites, posting comments to articles on their blogs. ITs a lot of work, but you could honestly make it seem as if your startup is in silicon valley even though it is no where close. The key is what another user said...the world is FLAT! Take advantage of it.

Chris http://www.stampedeblog.com -- our startups blog http://www.propertystampede.com -- our startup

Re: Ask YC: How important is location when your startup isn't looking for lots of VC money?

#12

Post by nomad » Wed, Apr 16, 2008, 1:41 AM UTC

I started my company in Seattle and just recently moved to SF -- even though Seattle is extremely tech-friendly, it's still like moving from the countryside into the Big City. Ideas abound, it's like the whole city is involved in a big brainstorming session. Even if you don't need more talent or money (lucky you!), your product benefits.

Re: Ask YC: How important is location when your startup isn't looking for lots of VC money?

#13

Post by juansequeda » Wed, Apr 16, 2008, 1:47 AM UTC

Move to Austin! I consider this THE place to be. It is a tech city, we have Silicon Hills, its MUCH MORE CHEAPER than SF and you have all the commodities of the tech cities like SF, Seattle and Boston. Plus, we have UT Austin, a top 10 school in CS, in case you are looking to recruit.

Re: Ask YC: How important is location when your startup isn't looking for lots of VC money?

#14

Post by aggieben » Wed, Apr 16, 2008, 1:47 AM UTC

pius wrote: post #8

SwellJoe wrote: post #5

I've asked this before, but it bears repeating: Have there been many wildly successful tech startups that were based on the premise "save money", to the point that they located themselves some place incredibly cheap (but far outside of tech industry circles)? I'm not saying it isn't a valid business plan, as I don't know, but I can point to an awful lot of Silicon Valley startups that have been wildly successful, and…

I've not got data, but I'd imagine that reporting bias causes a tendency to conflate the cool web 2.0 and 90's dot-com startups with the tech sector as a whole. There are plenty of less sexy tech companies that are thriving outside of hubs. The technology sector is not a unique snowflake -- microeconomics still applies. Lowering your costs is a good thing. The world is flat. If you've founded, say, an enterprise soft…

  There are plenty of less sexy tech companies that are thriving outside of hubs.

This is certainly true: take East Dallas metro, for example. Richardson is the telecom hub, and there's plenty of enterprisey Java crudapp work in this area. There just isn't a tex-mex YCombinator (dang!).

Re: Ask YC: How important is location when your startup isn't looking for lots of VC money?

#15

Post by pius » Wed, Apr 16, 2008, 1:50 AM UTC

juansequeda wrote: post #13

Move to Austin! I consider this THE place to be. It is a tech city, we have Silicon Hills, its MUCH MORE CHEAPER than SF and you have all the commodities of the tech cities like SF, Seattle and Boston. Plus, we have UT Austin, a top 10 school in CS, in case you are looking to recruit.

I've been thinking about it. :)