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Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

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Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#81

Post by vnchr »

ratsbane wrote: post #64
tptacek wrote: post #42

I wonder whether groups like this hadn't ought to stop doing grant/investment programs like this. You can't just buy a startup community, at least not for any amount we've seen spent to date. It has to grow organically. What seems likely to happen here is that adverse selection will allocate these grants to companies with poorer prospects than the total pool of startups, thus creating a track record of failure for th…

"You can't just buy a startup community..." At least, not for that amount of money. But maybe they can. The first step is to try.

We do have the semblance of a startup community. It's very nacent, but hopefully this attracts more people. Anyone interested in hearing what's going on here, let me know. It's not overwhelming, but there's more than most people realize.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#82

Post by vnchr »

jws wrote: post #25

Things to know about St. Louis: The City of St. Louis is a separate entity from St. Louis county. When I last checked the employee map for a 150 engineer software company, there were two employees living in the City of St. Louis, (a receptionist, and a newly divorced man in an apartment) the remainder where in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and living on the "east side" in Illinois (but far enough to clear Eas…

There's a growing contingent in the city, too. I know a lot of folks in the Cherokee neighborhood, including the dev group Able Few and across the street in Nebula, the coworking space. That's where I am on the weekend ;) I live downtown, btw.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#83

Post by vnchr »

2mur wrote: post #46

I hate writing this comment because I actually have a lot of warm feelings about St. Louis. I grew up there and went to college + medical school there (until I was about 25). Then I left. I always say that St. Louis is a nice place to be from. It's a nice place to raise a family. But I'm never going to move back. Or under extreme protest if my wife decides she wants to move back to be by family. There's just nothing…

Entrepreneur in the city, here. There's stuff going on :P

By the way, CITY MUSEUM?? Come, on!

But seriously, I wouldn't say there's a ton to attract someone here, but (1) if you're serious about your venture and this capital would make the difference, you can make it here--and I'll help you! and (2) there's more going on here than you think. Not an overwhelming amount, but enough to make a real run at it. This sort of grant program just adds to the mix.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#84

Post by vnchr »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #58

Honestly... I've lived in St. Louis my whole life (other than collage) and recently went to Startup Weekend St. Louis as well as php and code till dawn meetups. I know only a few people, angel investors from Startup Weekend, community organizers and others who are really trying very hard to get something started here. But it's a very VERY tiny tech community. However, there are angel investors, mentors, startup weeke…

"It's like trying to build a Craigslist for Antarctica"

LOL. Chris, you're awesome. Even if you spelled my last name wrong. Your honesty is great. I know some people will consider it worthwhile to start something here in spite of these legit challenges that you raise, but that's sober truth...

For the record, Chris is an awesome, intelligent dude who tries new things. Every time I see him, he has a new invention or website built. Full of ideas. Knowing people like him is part of what I like here.

Yes, go to SV if you can. For those who can't...well, now you've got another option to consider.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#85

Post by vnchr »

alexholehouse wrote: post #45

Bizarrely, I got back from St. Louis last on Saturday after going for PhD interviews. Regarding St. Louis as a whole, I think this article has some interesting points; http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2011/12/06/st-louis-... As for St. Louis as a tech start up location, I know there's a growing biotech scene bubbling up. St. Louis actually has the highest concentration of plant scientists in the world, and bot…

I think they'll provide some grants to companies in town, but it is primarily (as I understand) meant to attract from outside.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#86

Post by vnchr »

tazzy531 wrote: post #14

St. Louis has the wrong understanding of the problem. Money isn't the solution to building a tech community. Funding isn't usually the issue in getting a startup off the ground. The development of the tech community is how you entice entrepreneurs and technologists to your area. Entrepreneurs and developers flock to where there is a community of like minded individuals. Build the community and the people will come. O…

Hi Tazzy, funny, I moved from NYC to STL about a year ago. I know what you mean.

My take has been to mimic the entrepreneur community infrastructure represented by an NYC on a smaller scale here. Building community here has been my biggest priority.

The community is here. It's small, but it does exist. And the capital--also small, but it's coming. I don't think $500k is really that impressive. One company should burn through that much on their way to VC, let along a myriad of startups...

"Once the people come, the capital will come." We are in complete agreement. Now we want some more people--how does $50k sound? ;)

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#87

Post by knowtheory »

tptacek wrote: post #37
jws wrote: post #25

Things to know about St. Louis: The City of St. Louis is a separate entity from St. Louis county. When I last checked the employee map for a 150 engineer software company, there were two employees living in the City of St. Louis, (a receptionist, and a newly divorced man in an apartment) the remainder where in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and living on the "east side" in Illinois (but far enough to clear Eas…

St Louis has a city income tax?!

St. Louis isn't the only one. A lot (the vast majority i believe) of cities in Ohio also have a municipal income tax. So yes, living in Ohio, you file a Federal, State and Municipal income tax return.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#88

Post by knowtheory »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #58

Honestly... I've lived in St. Louis my whole life (other than collage) and recently went to Startup Weekend St. Louis as well as php and code till dawn meetups. I know only a few people, angel investors from Startup Weekend, community organizers and others who are really trying very hard to get something started here. But it's a very VERY tiny tech community. However, there are angel investors, mentors, startup weeke…

Do you think that these are qualities unique to Saint Louis or the midwest?

Do you think that NYC or SF don't have their hanger-ons, dilettantes and blowhards?

What frustrates me so mightily about the overly-dour pessimism about the midwest is the total neglect for all of the things that do happen here, and a lack of recognition of all the awesome midwesterners who leave the midwest just to do awesome stuff elsewhere.

I grew up and went to college in Columbus, Ohio thinking that the tech scene was elsewhere. It wasn't until I had already graduated and made plans to leave that I learned that, actually, Columbus has a world class Ruby community I'd simply not yet heard about.

I am still trying to figure St Louis out, having moved to Columbia Mo, 6 mos. ago, but I am skeptical that the community that puts on Strange Loop every year, has had companies like Slicehost come up out of it is really the barren wasteland you make it out to be.

Re: Ten $50,000 grants for startups who move to St. Louis

#89

Post by mhartl »

firefoxman1 wrote: post #55
mhartl wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I'm being serious. Thinking about your business model is useful, and planning is useful, but the formal practice of writing an official "business plan" (with revenue projections, etc.) is from a bygone era. More than anything, business plans give people (in this case, Arch Grants) a false sense of security.

Oh yes I completely agree. New industries move too fast to predict their profitability. I think the resume will go the way of the business model in our lifetime, if not 10 years.

You nailed it. Doing the traditional resume-and-interview grind is OK if you're just getting started, but as soon as possible you should be building and using your personal network. If after gaining some experience you need a resume to get a job, you're probably doing it wrong.
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