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Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

crainsdetroit.com

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Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#61

Post by ryanmarsh »

7Figures2Commas wrote: post #50
ryanmarsh wrote: post #29

As a Houstonion this gives me pause. Houston is a massive economic center by nearly every measure. It is also home to the most diverse county and university in the US. There are large successful technology companies here. Yet, Detroit and Dallas (arch enemy of Houston) are getting TechStars before us. Part of the reason we don't attract accelerators like TechStars is the lack of a healthy startup ecosystem. I am NOT…

> Part of the reason we don't attract accelerators like TechStars is the lack of a healthy startup ecosystem. As an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. Let me repeat: as an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. If you have a great product or service and are willing to make the effort to get in front of customer…

I think you're agreeing with me. The tech startups that are successful here do so in spite of the ecosystem. We're missing whatever that seed is that gets a healthy community going that would feed on itself and create more successes and make us appeal to TechStars.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#62

Post by [deleted] »

7Figures2Commas wrote: post #50
ryanmarsh wrote: post #29

As a Houstonion this gives me pause. Houston is a massive economic center by nearly every measure. It is also home to the most diverse county and university in the US. There are large successful technology companies here. Yet, Detroit and Dallas (arch enemy of Houston) are getting TechStars before us. Part of the reason we don't attract accelerators like TechStars is the lack of a healthy startup ecosystem. I am NOT…

> Part of the reason we don't attract accelerators like TechStars is the lack of a healthy startup ecosystem. As an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. Let me repeat: as an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. If you have a great product or service and are willing to make the effort to get in front of customer…

[deleted]

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#63

Post by saryant »

[deleted] wrote: post #62
7Figures2Commas wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Part of the reason we don't attract accelerators like TechStars is the lack of a healthy startup ecosystem. As an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. Let me repeat: as an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. If you have a great product or service and are willing to make the effort to get in front of customer…

[deleted]

Houston's actually a great place to live. I lived there for several years. Incredibly good schools in the suburbs, fantastic food and bar scene down in the Montrose, Washington Heights and Midtown. Very affordable.

I've lived in Wyoming, Colorado and the SF Bay Area and honestly I'd take Houston over all of them.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#64

Post by 7Figures2Commas »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #61
7Figures2Commas wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Part of the reason we don't attract accelerators like TechStars is the lack of a healthy startup ecosystem. As an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. Let me repeat: as an entrepreneur, you do not need a "healthy startup ecosystem" to build a successful company. If you have a great product or service and are willing to make the effort to get in front of customer…

I think you're agreeing with me. The tech startups that are successful here do so in spite of the ecosystem. We're missing whatever that seed is that gets a healthy community going that would feed on itself and create more successes and make us appeal to TechStars.

No, I think you're placing way too much emphasis on the "ecosystem." Again looking at Silicon Valley, there are exponentially more failures than successes even though it has the ecosystem that is the envy of the world.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#65

Post by mklim »

Igglyboo wrote: post #13
valarauca1 wrote: post #2

As a Detroiter hopefully this will give me a reason to start going downtown. The current problem with the Detroit Metro area is when ever outside money comes in. Most the time the offices open in the northern/western suburbs. I say this because most high paying jobs are in the suburbs. Because that's where the businesses are. The suburbs are doing well. At first I was very excited and hoped they'd open relatively clo…

The only time I ever go downtown is for events at the Renaissance Center and Cobo Hall. There's really no reason to otherwise, unless you like to gamble. Pretty much everywhere outside of the immediate area around Cobo is really bad anyway.

> There's really no reason to otherwise, unless you like to gamble.

That's really not true. There's a ton of fantastic restaurants/coffee places that don't exist in the suburbs (Mudgie's, Slowe's, Great Lakes Coffee, etc), the Detroit Art Institute in Midtown (including famous works like Van Gogh's self portrait), a music scene ranging from the big pop stars at Fox Theater to the up and coming indie bands at the Magic Stick, there's all the sporting events, there's ice skating at Campus Martius during the winter and free music at Grand Circus during the summer, there's the Opera House, there's touring Broadway shows at the Fox, there's smaller but still professional theater at the Hillberry, and there's a few regular tech meetups that take place downtown (Detroit Google Developer's Group, Lambda Lounge, Detroit Craftsman's Guild). There's almost always something going on in the Downtown/Midtown area.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#66

Post by davidw »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #56
davidw wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FlightAware is in Houston, apparently.

Yup. I've also never met anyone from there at any community events.

Maybe they're busy working on the company, or going to pilot events :-) I think there's a balance to be struck there: you see some places that are crawling with startup "scene" events and happenings and networking and you wonder how any work gets done. But if everyone stays holed up all the time, that's probably not healthy long term either, in terms of pulling new people in.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#67

Post by emcrazyone »

mingmecca wrote: post #35
emcrazyone wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

up voted you and I agree. I grew up in what is referred to as the "Down River" area; the suburbs south of Detroit and I now live ~10-15 miles north of Detroit. After living here some 30+ years I'm ready to pack it up. Until Detroit can get rid of it's crime and the stigma that seems to linger, I have a hard time imagining anyone wanting to spend any time near the city after dark. I own my own company and I have clien…

Hey! I grew up in the Downriver area as well (Lincoln Park specifically, about which the less said the better). Growing up, I only ever went into Detroit for concerts and the semi-annual "Greektown" pilgrimage. Outside of that, it was blight everywhere, and I thought that is how a big city looked. It wasn't until my college years that I seen a bit more of the world and my perspective changed on urban areas. Overall,…

I'm from from Riverview.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#68

Post by emcrazyone »

mklim wrote: post #65
Igglyboo wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only time I ever go downtown is for events at the Renaissance Center and Cobo Hall. There's really no reason to otherwise, unless you like to gamble. Pretty much everywhere outside of the immediate area around Cobo is really bad anyway.

> There's really no reason to otherwise, unless you like to gamble. That's really not true. There's a ton of fantastic restaurants/coffee places that don't exist in the suburbs (Mudgie's, Slowe's, Great Lakes Coffee, etc), the Detroit Art Institute in Midtown (including famous works like Van Gogh's self portrait), a music scene ranging from the big pop stars at Fox Theater to the up and coming indie bands at the Magi…

The other problem Detroit has is the freeways. I fail to understand why I-75 in the middle of the downtown area goes down from 4 lanes to 2 lanes of traffic. Boggles the mind. I've learned to avoid the area during major events because the freeway turns into a parking lot down there.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#69

Post by bruceb »

There is already at least one accelerator in Detroit. http://bizdom.com/ It is partially funded by the Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans. He also owns the Cleveland Cavilers and partial funds same thing in Cleveland.

Detroit is cheap compared to SF but actually downtown is filling up, rents are not as cheap as you might think.

Re: Techstars to open up shop in Detroit

#70

Post by emcrazyone »

Igglyboo wrote: post #57
bluedino wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing that San Francisco has that somewhere like Detroit doesn't, is the affluent residents with the ability to sustain a service like Uber or startups such as food delivery. Those kind of services are viable to create a startup focused on in SF but not in Detroit.

Detroit has a ton of affluent residents within 30 minutes of the city that regularly venture down there for various sporting events, gambling, and other events like NAIAS. Getting them to actually move to the city is the problem. I live 30 minutes from detroit and come from an upper-middle class household.

and why would you? Detroit has problems picking up the trash, snow removal, and keeping the lights on. Who would pay taxes for no services coupled with the crime stats.

See my post further up. I grew up 30 minutes in what many around here call the down river area (Riverview) and when I bought my first house, I went north. I'll happily pay more taxes for blue ribbon schools, trash pick up, snow removal, and be able to take an evening bike ride under street lights in a safe neighborhood.

Why would anyone trade any of this for living in Detroit. The bad areas are where people go who can't afford to live anywhere else. A hard cycle to break.

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