DISQUS

Bob · 3 months ago

Thanks for a well written post. Austin has a bumper sticker titled "Keep Austin Weird". Perhaps the time has come for DC to come up with something similar. Austin is has seen itself rise as a startup town just like DC has. If Austin's weirdness flag attracts people to their startup community then why can't DC attract people to its startup community with a Gov 2.0 flag. After all, wasn't it the Gold Rush in California and Nevada that attracted the original startup founders to the West? Some people went to pan for gold, others went to open stores and sell to them. We've got plenty of room for everyone here.

Bob
Jobmatchbox.com

Ken Yarmosh · 3 months ago

Agreed. I'm thankful for Gov 2.0...not only in terms of what it can do for us as citizens...but also for the fact that it is helping to put DC on the tech map. Now, it's our responsibility to help people understand that there's more than meets the eye.

Joseph LeBlanc · 3 months ago

I agree with a lot of this and would add another DC area advantage: there's much, much more going on than the startup scene. Here, your neighbors are most likely to be lawyers, federal employees, NGO policy analysts, freelancers, or MBAs. I think this helps to cut down on the "startup echo-chamber" effect dramatically.

The one part I take issue with is talent. With the exception of University of Maryland (http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.c...), most of the talent I see around here is imported. While the other colleges in the area are certainly top-notch, they simply aren't geared towards CS and Engineering. Georgetown, George Mason, and George Washington are busy turning out MBAs and lawyers.

Ken Yarmosh · 3 months ago

Exactly. My point on talent and building startups is that it's not necessarily about being a CS or Engineering grad. That also hits on the importance of balance and your statement about cutting down on the echo chamber. Of course, I do agree that there is "imported" talent as well.