How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#1

Post by debacle » Tue, Jul 16, 2013, 10:55 PM UTC

I'm looking to move in the next 12 months, and Philadelphia and the greater region has been shortlisted (wife has family there) as one of the potential locations to move.

Does Philadelphia have a good startup ecosystem, or am I going to find that there are plenty of "startups" but that the good jobs are few and far between?

I'm looking for something that's a bit more work-life balance than the previous startups I worked for, but at the same time I'm interested in being part of something that I believe in and which could lead to big things.

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#2

Post by andrewantar » Tue, Jul 16, 2013, 11:08 PM UTC

We are a philly startup hearo.fm and there is quite an ecosystem. Philly Startup Leaders hosts a ton of events and Penn/Wharton has a ton of founders who organize all kinds of things. Mentortech Partners and First Round are the prominent VCs. There are also a few co-working spaces. Are you a developer?

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#3

Post by dmschulman » Tue, Jul 16, 2013, 11:11 PM UTC

Might want to check out this map of statups in Philly:

http://phillystartupleaders.org/map/

I'm from the city, I live in SoCal now taking advantage of that startup scene, but I think if I moved back home I could find something tech oriented to do. Whether that company will be the next Amazon is a different story...

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#4

Post by iamdprz » Tue, Jul 16, 2013, 11:13 PM UTC

Is a smaller version of NY, easier for mining data. Is a multi-cultural haven in which they all mingle within a 2 miles radius. Head over to North 3rd(N3rd) St, is the equivalent of Silicon Valley. That's your best bet to Net-Work if you seeking Innovation. HUSTLE!!!

I hope that was helpful..

@iamdprz

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#5

Post by hedonist » Tue, Jul 16, 2013, 11:31 PM UTC

iamdprz wrote: post #4

Is a smaller version of NY, easier for mining data. Is a multi-cultural haven in which they all mingle within a 2 miles radius. Head over to North 3rd(N3rd) St, is the equivalent of Silicon Valley. That's your best bet to Net-Work if you seeking Innovation. HUSTLE!!! I hope that was helpful.. @iamdprz

Well, "an analog to" rather than "the equivalent of" might be a better qualifier in the above.

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#6

Post by opendomain » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 1:28 AM UTC

I work in Philly - it is a great city! Very clean and lower crime compared to New York. Also the cost of living is much lower than California - not to mention the taxes! We have a great startup scene as well, but if your real goal is Create your own startup, then the Valley or NY has more money and exposure. On the other hand, if you want to join a great company, we have some great ones- from DuckDuckGo to Comcast. GSI Commerce just got bought by eBay, so I guess they do not count as a startup, but it is a great company. You can live in NJ and have the option to work either Philly or New York.

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#7

Post by debacle » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 1:32 AM UTC

andrewantar wrote: post #2

We are a philly startup hearo.fm and there is quite an ecosystem. Philly Startup Leaders hosts a ton of events and Penn/Wharton has a ton of founders who organize all kinds of things. Mentortech Partners and First Round are the prominent VCs. There are also a few co-working spaces. Are you a developer?

I am a programmer, process manager, development manager, project manager, and former business owner. I've pretty much done everything.

Re: How is Philadelphia's startup ecosystem?

#8

Post by zwtaylor » Sun, Jul 21, 2013, 4:36 AM UTC

opendomain wrote: post #6

I work in Philly - it is a great city! Very clean and lower crime compared to New York. Also the cost of living is much lower than California - not to mention the taxes! We have a great startup scene as well, but if your real goal is Create your own startup, then the Valley or NY has more money and exposure. On the other hand, if you want to join a great company, we have some great ones- from DuckDuckGo to Comcast. G…

Fellow Philadelphian here, while Philly has a ton going for it, its crime rate is more than double New York's.

http://city-crime-statistics.findthedata.org/compare/4852-65...