What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
21–30 of 30 posts
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#22The author refers to pg's article on Cities and Ambition, and suggests that what is said about NY in the article is changing.
I don't think so. The banks will come back stronger than ever, it's just a matter of time, they always do. Other than that the mentality of people in the city has not changed. This so called engineering school which is expected to become top notch overnight, won't change things. If that were simply the case, Boston should never have seen it's decline as a tech mecca in the first place.
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#23I think if Boston's VCs would have had their stuff together, its very possible that YC might not have abandoned Boston in the first place. Also, many of the VCs are heavily invested in Biotech and other heavy-capital industries. Dollar for dollar they invest a great deal, but it doesn't generally go to consumer tech startups. Now if you want to see an area with actual little high dollar investment happening, come vis…
I think if Boston's VCs would have had their stuff together, its very possible that YC might not have abandoned Boston in the first place.
Doubtful--in the announcement, PG said:
But while Silicon Valley is a better place for startups than Boston, that isn’t why we chose it. If Cambridge seemed a better place to raise kids, we would have stayed there year round instead.
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#24I'd love it if pg chimed in and explained why, after citing Cambridge as the best city in the world, they pulled up tent stakes. Did the author capture it fully?
This is what pg said at the time: http://ycombinator.com/ycca.html
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
I grew up in the North East and spent a good amount of time living in Boston. One thing I always noticed about Bostonians was that upon meeting anyone new one of the very first questions they ask is "where are you from" (and I also felt there was asterisk there: *in Massachusetts/NE). This may seem like a small thing but it speaks a lot to the main focus being "which direction did you come from" rather than "which di…
and the second question is always "what do you do?" and, up until very recently, answering with "I work at a web startup" was met with extremely puzzled and questioning looks.
This is definitely true, and many people seem to assume that I'm either a grad student or working at a University and are surprised that I'm not.
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#26As a longtime Massachusetts / Boston resident, the culture of the city may have something to do with it. Boston is, at its heart, a Puritan settlement. This has been used as a sleight against Boston, but I don't mean it that way. But it is a word that captures the essence of what I mean. A superficial example shows itself to visitors immediately. Most people who visit Boston come away thinking the people are cold and…
I must have grown up in a different part of the city than you frequent.
Families in my neighborhood were not hardworking, or honest. The vast majority of them were either petty criminals (most of my friends growing up stole cars or robbed liquor stores) or in organized crime (like my family). Everyone had a scheme, or an angle they were trying to play to get money quickly.
When I go home now, I never feel like I'm back there until I hear someone call someone else "fucking retarded" (never been more than a few hours).
I'm not disagreeing with your characterization of "salt of the earth Boston people", I'm just saying that like anywhere, people aren't all the same.
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#27As a longtime Massachusetts / Boston resident, the culture of the city may have something to do with it. Boston is, at its heart, a Puritan settlement. This has been used as a sleight against Boston, but I don't mean it that way. But it is a word that captures the essence of what I mean. A superficial example shows itself to visitors immediately. Most people who visit Boston come away thinking the people are cold and…
I must have grown up in a different part of the city than you frequent. Families in my neighborhood were not hardworking, or honest. The vast majority of them were either petty criminals (most of my friends growing up stole cars or robbed liquor stores) or in organized crime (like my family). Everyone had a scheme, or an angle they were trying to play to get money quickly. When I go home now, I never feel like I'm ba…
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Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your last part is exceedingly true. Boston and Cambridge feel more than 364.4 Smoots apart quite often culturally.
I love that Smoots are in Wolfram Alpha. :) http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+smoots+from+th...
Google understands Smoots as well.
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#29I think if Boston's VCs would have had their stuff together, its very possible that YC might not have abandoned Boston in the first place. Also, many of the VCs are heavily invested in Biotech and other heavy-capital industries. Dollar for dollar they invest a great deal, but it doesn't generally go to consumer tech startups. Now if you want to see an area with actual little high dollar investment happening, come vis…
I think if Boston's VCs would have had their stuff together, its very possible that YC might not have abandoned Boston in the first place. Doubtful--in the announcement, PG said: But while Silicon Valley is a better place for startups than Boston, that isn’t why we chose it. If Cambridge seemed a better place to raise kids, we would have stayed there year round instead.
That's interesting. I haven't spent as much time in California, but I always figured Cambridge (especially if you have money) is a wonderful place to raise kids. A nice house near the Harvard Quad/Garden St and a good private school smooth out pretty much any bumps that I could foresee.
Re: What's the Matter with Boston VCs?
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think if Boston's VCs would have had their stuff together, its very possible that YC might not have abandoned Boston in the first place. Doubtful--in the announcement, PG said: But while Silicon Valley is a better place for startups than Boston, that isn’t why we chose it. If Cambridge seemed a better place to raise kids, we would have stayed there year round instead.
That's interesting. I haven't spent as much time in California, but I always figured Cambridge (especially if you have money) is a wonderful place to raise kids. A nice house near the Harvard Quad/Garden St and a good private school smooth out pretty much any bumps that I could foresee.
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