Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
I love watching startups pitch, probably because I love pitching. To me, seeing someone articulate their vision and product is nothing short of inspiring. But having been a judge for various university competitions like Hult Prize’s Accelerator and University College London amongst others, I have to share some of the biggest pet peeves I have seen from the judging table.
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Pay attention startups. You should be making something that makes people’s lives better. It’s that easy. Want big valuations? Want venture capital? That’s all it takes.
Don’t believe me? Well don’t believe me. Believe the guy who said it, Paul Graham, the tech entrepreneur behind a little incubator you might have heard about called Y Combinator. Read More
Can Portland become a startup hub? It’s a question that we discuss time and time again.
We have the hackers, but can we attract the right kind of investors? Can we create a startup environment that meshes with the Portland—and Silicon Forest—culture? Can we build a sustainable startup engine?
I believe we can and I know I’m not alone in that regard.
Now, Paul Graham, founder of the well-known early stage startup incubator Y Combinator, has provided another vote of confidence for the Rose City. In a post entitled “Can You Buy a Silicon Valley? Maybe.” he proposes a way to fund and retain startups “for a particular city.”
It’s an interesting argument. But what I found most interesting was this (emphasis is mine):
How well this scheme worked would depend on the city. There are some towns, like Portland, that would be easy to turn into startup hubs, and others, like Detroit, where it would really be an uphill battle. So be honest with yourself about the sort of town you have before you try this.
So now, it’s not just obvious to us, anymore. It’s obvious to the outside world, as well.
It seems like there’s an opportunity here. And we shouldn’t squander it.
(Hat tip Elia Freedman)