Even in the video, they're both talking more about Silicon Valley than NYC = )
New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
21–30 of 59 posts
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#22If this is a fight, I'm pretty sure only one side is fighting it. I don't remember the last time I had a conversation about NY startups or NY vs SF with anyone who wasn't from NY. I find all the coverage of NY vs. SF rather strange. For the most part, we don't really compete for the same money or for the same talent. Quite often we don't even compete for the same users.
I'm particularly annoyed with the synonymization of "San Francisco" and "Silicon Valley". They are not the same thing.
Having grown up in Silicon Valley, I can honestly say that what people consider to be Silicon Valley today was not anything close to what it was 20 years ago. So I don't take it so seriously anymore.
Since San Jose went from the gateway to Silicon Valley to the Heart of Silicon Valley, I feel like San Francisco, which is actually part of the Peninsula, can be part of SV.
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#23It's not clear whether by San Francisco this article is referring to Silicon Valley, but assuming that's the case - NYC has nowhere near the tech ecosystem that the Valley has in place. In the Valley you have the full gamut of software and hardware companies and everything in between.
In NYC, you have a mix of pure software startups that have had some success, combined with the typical industries which have deployed technology in a unique way (like Gilt Groupe - where, apparently, only 5% of the employees actually work in tech: http://gigaom.com/2011/11/22/gilt-groupe-ipo/ ), and the majority of software engineers in NYC still work for banks. It's going to take another decade to realize whether or not NYC has any real potential here.
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#24If this is a fight, I'm pretty sure only one side is fighting it. I don't remember the last time I had a conversation about NY startups or NY vs SF with anyone who wasn't from NY. I find all the coverage of NY vs. SF rather strange. For the most part, we don't really compete for the same money or for the same talent. Quite often we don't even compete for the same users.
I'm particularly annoyed with the synonymization of "San Francisco" and "Silicon Valley". They are not the same thing.
It's just one of those things where people not close to the subject get a distorted opinion, sort of like Chinese whispers. Like the (probably totally exaggerated) idea of some Americans thinking that people from the UK are from London. Like when tourists stop you in the streets of Oxford or Cambridge (presumably other places too, I just haven't lived in them..) and ask "excuse me, can you tell me where the University is?".
When I was first aware of Silicon Valley I literally pictured a road running through mountains, with big company X on one side, Y on the other, next door was Z... then after that I just thought of Silicon Valley as the techy nickname for SF. Then when I cared more, I grew to know more about it.
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#25As a New Yorker looking longingly westward, I have a question. Is the Valley the only place it makes sense to be, or is it feasible to live in the East Bay?
I know the real answer is that it doesn't matter where you are if you're the right person working on the right project.
That said, I want to be somewhere that the social environment is a positive one for someone living off his savings while trying to build a product and a company. Things like a good coworking space and people who keep you motivated and inspired can help a lot, in my opinion.
The only thing is, I want to move west for a nicer home life and standard of living, I just don't want to leave city life altogether. That's why I'm thinking of living in Oakland or Berkeley, and working in SF.
Bay Area residents, what do you think?
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#26If this is a fight, I'm pretty sure only one side is fighting it. I don't remember the last time I had a conversation about NY startups or NY vs SF with anyone who wasn't from NY. I find all the coverage of NY vs. SF rather strange. For the most part, we don't really compete for the same money or for the same talent. Quite often we don't even compete for the same users.
I'm particularly annoyed with the synonymization of "San Francisco" and "Silicon Valley". They are not the same thing.
Having grown up in the midwest, now living in SF, and commuting daily to SV, yeah, most of the world thinks it's the same thing. SF is just a suburb of SV.
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#27Every few months for the past decade or so I've seen articles like this comparing the bay area to New York or Seattle. It seems that the New York and Seattle companies all fall off the face of the earth a few minutes after I read the article, never to be heard from again. I think that Seattle just isn't large enough to really matter in the start-up world, and New York has too many bankers and too few engineers. Bankers don't create value or innovate, they just arbitrage. How can you innovate in a culture filled with young, aggressive alpha male frat-boys entirely lacking in empathy who would rather snort coke and go to strip clubs than stay up all night brainstorming or .. working with hackers?
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#28As a New Yorker looking longingly westward, I have a question. Is the Valley the only place it makes sense to be, or is it feasible to live in the East Bay? I know the real answer is that it doesn't matter where you are if you're the right person working on the right project. That said, I want to be somewhere that the social environment is a positive one for someone living off his savings while trying to build a prod…
Not sure about Berkeley, but when I moved out here I was told one consistent thing about housing, "don't live in Oakland"
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm particularly annoyed with the synonymization of "San Francisco" and "Silicon Valley". They are not the same thing.
Having grown up in Silicon Valley, I can honestly say that what people consider to be Silicon Valley today was not anything close to what it was 20 years ago. So I don't take it so seriously anymore. Since San Jose went from the gateway to Silicon Valley to the Heart of Silicon Valley, I feel like San Francisco, which is actually part of the Peninsula, can be part of SV.
I've only been here six years, and truth be told I avoid SF at all costs, but all I have to do is look at the job listings. SF listings are full of every Social Web Media Infinity-point-Fad known to man.
South Bay -- Platforms, infrastructure, embedded systems, established technologies, emphasis on availability and reliability. This is what the San Francisco startups rely on to make sure their new web startup doesn't fall over at the first sign of traffic.
One might see this as the traditional Silicon Valley maturing and even stagnating in comparison to San Francisco's young, hip, fast-moving culture, but I don't think it's reasonable to treat them as a unified entity.
Re: New York vs San Francisco in fight for tech start-ups
#30Every few months for the past decade or so I've seen articles like this comparing the bay area to New York or Seattle. It seems that the New York and Seattle companies all fall off the face of the earth a few minutes after I read the article, never to be heard from again. I think that Seattle just isn't large enough to really matter in the start-up world, and New York has too many bankers and too few engineers. Banke…
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