July 28th, 2009
Entrepreneur: Portland is one of the best entrepreneurial cities
From the “telling you what you already know” department, Portland is a great place for startups, it seems. No, I’m serious.
Don’t believe me? Well, how about Entrepreneur magazine? They’ve named Portland, Oregon, one of the best cities in which to be an entrepreneur, nicknaming the Portland “the cooperator.”
Portland has made do with the great resources it does have, creating vibrant electronics, clean-tech, health sciences and apparel sectors, and one of the largest and most innovative open source software communities in the world. Plus, the quality of life–Portland is a perennial favorite on most livable and most sustainable cities lists–means a high retention rate for workers.
And while they give Portland kudos, they also do a good job on calling the Rose City on one of the things it lacks: the world dominating mindset. (Although, I know many would argue that to be another positive aspect of the Portland community.)
There’s only one downside: Portland may be too genial. “For good or ill, the collaborative mind-set tends to diffuse that killer instinct,” says [OVP's Gerry] Langler. “We don’t have too many people obsessed with dominating the world market.”
Well, except for those Open Source Bridge folks.
For more information, you can read the August issue of Entrepreneur online or grab a copy wherever fine dead tree publications are sold.
(Hat tip Clay Neal)
(Image courtesy Matt McGee. Used under Creative Commons.)
We play well with others. We don’t run with scissors.
I know I’m still new to town, but I’m all for world domination in my career but also on a civic basis. For instance, Portland’s mayor, Sam Adams, believes this can be the most sustainable city on earth and that it would be good for business. Okay! That’s the bold, pioneering spirit that attracted me to Portland in the first place. I hate to say it, but it’s time to “just do it.” Whatever “it” might mean to you.