Can you buy a silicon valley? Maybe

[Ben Porterfield]

All,

Thought there were enough interesting bits in this article on building a startup community to warrant posting:

http://www.paulgraham.com/maybe.html

Best,
Ben

[Sean Tario]

Nice find Ben.

 

Having dove head first into this very conversation for the past few years with many folks here in town, my 2 cents is that Santa Cruz is unlike almost all other city’s trying to “recreate” the Silicon Valley experience and trying to build a friendly ecosystem for startups because:

 

-We’re a 30 minute drive from Silicon Valley and 45 minute drive from Sand Hill / Page Mill Road where most startups end up for Series A Funding… which is exactly how long it would take someone to get there from the East Bay, Oakland or San Francisco.

 

-We’re ALREADY known around the world for being a hub of innovation and big ideas.

 

-We’ve got a University that is not perfect (which one is?) but finally starting to make some strides toward helping bright and motivated students and professors with big ideas and game changing technologies to actually start doing something with those ideas and technologies.

 

-We’ve got a City/County that is not perfect (again, which one is?) but finally starting to make some strides toward helping bright and motivated CITIZENS with big ideas and game changing technologies to actually start doing something with those ideas and technologies.

 

-We already live in one of the wealthiest regions in the country.

 

-People go out of their way and take huge risks already to try and earn a living here.

 

-Our entrepreneurial minded citizens have learned that waiting around for government to do anything in terms of economic development locally is a total waste of time due to policies and politics over the past few decades, and thus they’ve stopped waiting for hand outs and started creating the infrastructure on their own…

 

-Spend all of 30 minutes walking around the likes of NextSpace or a Geek Dinner and you’ll realize the entrepreneurs and intellectual capital is already here, alive, and thriving.

 

-Spend all of 30 minutes walking around the likes of NextSpace or a Geek Dinner and you’ll realize the INFRASTRUCTURE and COMMUNITY needed to help support and nurture those thinking about and actually building companies are already here, alive and thriving.

 

Thus, I don’t feel Santa Cruz needs to “recreate” jack squat.  “Recreate” simply isn’t the terminology or conversation that needs to be had.  The conversation is around how we best leverage the ALREADY EXISTING RESOURCES in a far more effective and productive way than we have been in years past.

 

IMHO, these past few years have been focused on tilling the soul, making sure it has all the nutrients it needs for the short and long term and planting the seeds.  We each play a different role in this process and, again, IMHO, have been doing a phenomenal job taking care of our garden/farm to this extent.  As we have the sun in abundance here in Santa Cruz, the one piece now missing is the capital to help water the fertile soul and planted seeds… and mark my words, by summer, we’ll see some rain coming… possibly a monsoon ;)

 

Sean

 

PS - If you want to experience firsthand why I believe now is the time for Santa Cruz, please check out www.santacruzsummit.com and attend this event.  We have some great speakers coming, but it will be so very much more than your typical keynote/panel event.  In fact, I GUARANTEE it will be an evening that will go down in the history books for this City/County and an ongoing EXPERIENCE unlike any other you’ve had.

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[Andrew Mueller]

Sean, 

The article that Ben linked to starts by saying one way is to start a world class University, but doesn't do a good job at addressing how the university acts as the petri dish for the startup community.  Not only does it breed good innovative ideas, but it provides the workers that are willing to work hard, long hours, for very reasonable pay (they do not yet have expensive lifestyles to support).  A reasonable local university willing to work with the city is critical to the goal.  Your efforts in engaging UCSC may be the most important aspect of making Santa Cruz a hub for startups.  IMO it is a critical link that has been missing.  Thanks!

Andrew

[William Tysseling]

Andrew highlights a key issue. If you didn’t notice the stories in the Sentinel last week about a group of the old guard progressives challenging the City’s support for the University you should take a look at them.

 

The issue last week was the City’s agreement to address the University’s water needs as part of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan but these ‘no-growth’ advocates have promised across-the-board challenges to University’ s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP).

 

It is worth noting that the LRDP provides for significant growth in areas most likely to produce new business… research and graduate study. It is also critical to UCSC’s success getting the support of the overall UC system – for instance in developing technology transfer processes for the commercialization of research product and business incubation processes.

 

Watch for more on this. It will require strong public support to sustain the very excellent effort of the Council. Ryan Coonerty was particular effective in responding to this Tuesday… do let him and other council members know of your appreciation for their hard work on these issues.

 

William Tysseling

112 Errett Circle

Santa Cruz, CA  95060

831 239-7455

wtyss...@gmail.com