Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
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Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#2I'm fired up by Mark's idea, to much more deeply engage with our local leaders (Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, etc) -- think every geography has these, and presenting it how Mark does makes it so much more compelling. Everyone benefits from these relationships, and really, the Bay Area has crushed it in this area (think growth of Zynga and others on Facebook... the wave of startup involvement with iPhone/iPad Apps store launches...) -- I look forward to helping make that happen, more quickly
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#3I may be wrong about this, but I sense that Seattle's startup scene is definitely lacking something important. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's there.
In my opinion, people here seem pretty risk-averse (ie few want to jump and do a startup, especially people in their twenties).
It kind of seems like people lack the drive to "change the world". Instead, people seem pretty laid back here. It's almost as if they get too comfortable here.
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#4I may be wrong about this, but I sense that Seattle's startup scene is definitely lacking something important. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's there. In my opinion, people here seem pretty risk-averse (ie few want to jump and do a startup, especially people in their twenties). It kind of seems like people lack the drive to "change the world". Instead, people seem pretty laid back here. It's almost as if…
No, I don't think that's it (having lived here for 13 years). I think it's just more that people are focused on their own thing, by and large, vs. getting out with a small % of their time and building a community for the greater good.
This 'problem' is so fixable; we just need another catalyst (like what www.GeneralAssemb.ly and New Work City are doing in NYC... and what TechStars did in Boulder, Seattle, Boston and NYC, and many other examples).
We're just a few nudges away, and there's no doubt we'll get there -- we just need to keep focusing on the good stuff, and it's going to happen.
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#5I may be wrong about this, but I sense that Seattle's startup scene is definitely lacking something important. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's there. In my opinion, people here seem pretty risk-averse (ie few want to jump and do a startup, especially people in their twenties). It kind of seems like people lack the drive to "change the world". Instead, people seem pretty laid back here. It's almost as if…
No, I don't think that's it (having lived here for 13 years). I think it's just more that people are focused on their own thing, by and large, vs. getting out with a small % of their time and building a community for the greater good. This 'problem' is so fixable; we just need another catalyst (like what www.GeneralAssemb.ly and New Work City are doing in NYC... and what TechStars did in Boulder, Seattle, Boston and…
>I think it's just more that people are focused on their own thing, by and large, vs. getting out with a small % of their time and building a community for the greater good.
Ya, they're not enough "crazy" people.
I think Seattle needs a big consumer-based (2.0 or 3.0) hit. It needs a Facebook, a Groupon, a Twitter, a Skype, a LinkedIn, an Etsy, a Dropbox.
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, I don't think that's it (having lived here for 13 years). I think it's just more that people are focused on their own thing, by and large, vs. getting out with a small % of their time and building a community for the greater good. This 'problem' is so fixable; we just need another catalyst (like what www.GeneralAssemb.ly and New Work City are doing in NYC... and what TechStars did in Boulder, Seattle, Boston and…
>I think it's just more that people are focused on their own thing, by and large, vs. getting out with a small % of their time and building a community for the greater good. Ya, they're not enough "crazy" people. I think Seattle needs a big consumer-based (2.0 or 3.0) hit. It needs a Facebook, a Groupon, a Twitter, a Skype, a LinkedIn, an Etsy, a Dropbox.
you mean, like an Amazon? or a Starbucks? :-)
or, if you want to be cynical that Amazon's a long time ago... how about like an AWS, or a Kindle? The innovation's here -- we just need to get more commingling going on
it's going to happen -- if you're in town, reach out, please -- would love to have you help
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#7One thing that I think would help is if Seattle startups did more recruiting at UW's CSE department. There's a reason why Seattle startups tend to be founded by ex-MS and -Amazon folks instead of fresh college grads. Very few students here know anything about the local startup scene and end up being gobbled up by big companies (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Adobe) or moving to greener pastures in the Bay Area. Suster didn't mention connection with local education institutions as one of his 10 points, but I think taking advantage of the stream of talent coming out of UW would go a long way to providing good hires and fostering a greater sense of entrepreneurship among Seattle's young people.
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
>I think it's just more that people are focused on their own thing, by and large, vs. getting out with a small % of their time and building a community for the greater good. Ya, they're not enough "crazy" people. I think Seattle needs a big consumer-based (2.0 or 3.0) hit. It needs a Facebook, a Groupon, a Twitter, a Skype, a LinkedIn, an Etsy, a Dropbox.
you mean, like an Amazon? or a Starbucks? :-) or, if you want to be cynical that Amazon's a long time ago... how about like an AWS, or a Kindle? The innovation's here -- we just need to get more commingling going on it's going to happen -- if you're in town, reach out, please -- would love to have you help
And there's the fastest selling consumer electronics product in history... the Kinect.
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#9One of positive aspects from the year and a half I did in Seattle was that fewer engineering jobs meant people didn't expect to leave a company every year or two. When hiring systems engineers I found it easier to hire smart, competent employees who got shit done and had a long-term view. Three or four of the best engineers I've ever encountered, and my closest friendships, were built in Seattle.
Still, I was somewhat underwhelmed by Seattle's tech scene. All conversations inevitably devolved into pity sessions comparing Seattle to the valley. Diversity seemed lacking; I recall only one engineer I met who didn't come from UW, Real, Amazon, Microsoft, or Boeing. The Microsofties would often introduce themselves by what they used to do at Microsoft before they had decided to cash in their 401k to jump onto the "Social" bandwagon.
Oh, and the weather made me want to shoot myself.
Re: Mark Suster on Seattle and how a few key people can transform a community
#10I'm not active in the startup scene, but how could an article like this not mention Seattle Tech Startups? http://www.seattletechstartups.com/