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Detroit Startup List

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Re: Detroit Startup List

#21

Post by pyre »

kj1210 wrote: post #11
rick888 wrote: post #2

This list is misleading. over half are from the Ann Arbor area and a few are in California (and other states) with a few remote offices in Ann Arbor. They really should be pushing for Ann Arbor to be a tech center, not Detroit.

Silicon Valley encompasses many cities in a "region". Here in Detroit, we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region so we use Detroit to encompass the whole area. Ann Arbor falls within that area. It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) The Detroit "region" or sometimes known as "Detroit Urban Area" or "Metro Detroit", is actually quite large and has many beautiful com…

  > It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to
  > Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;)
But:

1. It's in a different county.

2. You're not really accounting for traffic, though my experiences were during the early 00's.

3. Ann Arbor was a completely different vibe than Detroit, or even a number of the suburbs.

4. Ann Arbor really isn't a suburb of Detroit. If you drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor, the suburbs give way to farmland before you all of the sudden end up in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.

Re: Detroit Startup List

#22

Post by pyre »

chaselee wrote: post #7
rick888 wrote: post #2

This list is misleading. over half are from the Ann Arbor area and a few are in California (and other states) with a few remote offices in Ann Arbor. They really should be pushing for Ann Arbor to be a tech center, not Detroit.

As one of the founders from the Ann Arbor area, I can say this list is more of a Southeast Michigan list, an area for which Detroit is often synonymous. Due to their relative proximity, there hasn't been a reason yet to push one city to be a center over the other, it's more so about the region as a whole, which is very well linked together.

Maybe people should start condensing the 'Metro Detroit Area' as the MDA (or something like that) similar to the way the 'Greater Toronto Area' is labeled the GTA.

Re: Detroit Startup List

#23

Post by bilbo0s »

rick888 wrote: post #2

This list is misleading. over half are from the Ann Arbor area and a few are in California (and other states) with a few remote offices in Ann Arbor. They really should be pushing for Ann Arbor to be a tech center, not Detroit.

Easy solution...

Perhaps the founders from Ann Arbor could simply have their names removed from the list of startups grown in Detroit.

They could find another method for myself, or anyone else on HN who is not from SE Michigan to discover information about them.

A list of startups grown in Ann Arbor would be of equivalent interest to everyone here. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Oh wait...

Re: Detroit Startup List

#24

Post by mbreese »

pyre wrote: post #22
chaselee wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As one of the founders from the Ann Arbor area, I can say this list is more of a Southeast Michigan list, an area for which Detroit is often synonymous. Due to their relative proximity, there hasn't been a reason yet to push one city to be a center over the other, it's more so about the region as a whole, which is very well linked together.

Maybe people should start condensing the 'Metro Detroit Area' as the MDA (or something like that) similar to the way the 'Greater Toronto Area' is labeled the GTA.

I don't know how many people outside of Toronto (or Canada) know what GTA means. (I know that I didn't). Abbreviations that make sense locally rarely resonate globally.

Re: Detroit Startup List

#25

Post by skrebbel »

pyre wrote: post #21
kj1210 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Silicon Valley encompasses many cities in a "region". Here in Detroit, we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region so we use Detroit to encompass the whole area. Ann Arbor falls within that area. It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) The Detroit "region" or sometimes known as "Detroit Urban Area" or "Metro Detroit", is actually quite large and has many beautiful com…

> It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to > Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) But: 1. It's in a different county. 2. You're not really accounting for traffic, though my experiences were during the early 00's. 3. Ann Arbor was a completely different vibe than Detroit, or even a number of the suburbs. 4. Ann Arbor really isn't a suburb of Detroit. If you drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor, the suburbs give way to…

True. Anyone knows that if there's farmland in-between, startups can't be on a list together.

Re: Detroit Startup List

#26

Post by davidw »

kj1210 wrote: post #11
rick888 wrote: post #2

This list is misleading. over half are from the Ann Arbor area and a few are in California (and other states) with a few remote offices in Ann Arbor. They really should be pushing for Ann Arbor to be a tech center, not Detroit.

Silicon Valley encompasses many cities in a "region". Here in Detroit, we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region so we use Detroit to encompass the whole area. Ann Arbor falls within that area. It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) The Detroit "region" or sometimes known as "Detroit Urban Area" or "Metro Detroit", is actually quite large and has many beautiful com…

> we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region

At the risk of being a bit facile, "an armpit" is what I get when reading about it. No mountains, humid summers, frigid winters, decline and decay in abundance. It's about the last place in the US I'd want to live, I think.

More than a few startups, I'm afraid the whole area needs to work a bit on its 'brand'. How many people from younger generations pretty much immediately think of the rusting industrial husks and other fairly negative things when they hear 'Detroit'? My inclination is that this would most likely happen by being so cheap that people can move in, get lots of space for not much money, and do creative things with it.

BTW, "San Fran" isn't a very current term for San Francisco.

Re: Detroit Startup List

#29

Post by joem32 »

Since everyone is an expert on Detroit, I guess we might just as well put a fence up around the place, turn off the lights, and stick a fork in it.

In reality, Detroit (proper) has lots of work to be done, there is no denying it. There are lots of rough neighborhoods, and places that need hard work. And yes, there are areas that you just dont travel at night, but thats a reality common with MANY big cities like Boston, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Funny thing is, each of the aforementioned has either a strong startup community, or one that is rapidly up and coming. Facts are, there are many substantial efforts and investments currently in play that are making dramatic improvements in the overall quality of the city. Of all places, I'd think that the population that makes up HN would understand resurgence, potential, and free-market capitalism, but that's obviously not the case, as each is alive and well in the city of Detroit and the greater Detroit Region.

Sure, you can argue that the political climate remains sullied. But it's better, and those who've done wrong have such a target on their head, they dare not push the limits.

Here is the biggest take away that others have hit on... Detroit is a region, and Detroit is a big part of Michigan. It's our center of commerce and it was once the most innovation rich region in the world.

To make a geographic comparison... When we think of Massachusetts, most just assume a person or company is from Boston. When someone says they are from the "Valley" they could be from San Jose, San Francisco, Palo Alto, or Mountain View... etc. Each represent geographic areas much larger than the actual town or city they are from. And the same goes for "Detroit, as you can be from Ann Arbor, Rochester, Downtown Detroit, Birmingham, Royal Oak, or wherever. For a very long time, each community within Michigan has become siloed with a provincial mentality, its a waste, and we've got no place for it any more. Silo us all you want from the outside looking in, but we'll do and make reference as we please from the inside out.

I believe that the entire Detroit region is ripe with potential, and I'll continue to take advantage of that potential to the fullest extent that I can. And I'll say to those of you who doubt Detroit, go ahead and keep at it. Leave the great and growing resources to those of us who care to make a difference.

Re: Detroit Startup List

#30

Post by joem32 »

jerf wrote: post #9
Newmind wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a number of cities in the valley that all consider themselves the same community. I think this is the same sort of concept. The list appears to be based on where the companies were founded not where they currently have presence.

I live in Brighton, 15 minutes north of Ann Arbor, where I work. No, we do not consider ourselves to be "just part of the same community". Detroit's "over there". Detroit does extend out past Detroit proper and there are municipalities where one might just say for convenience "I live in Detroit" to those from out-of-town even though the mailing address isn't Detroit, but there's a lot of not-Detroit less than an hour…

Jerf, just curious, but when was the last time that you left Brighton and spent time in Downtown Detroit outside of a sporting event?
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