Writing for Geekwire, Tren Griffin weighed in on the elements that a startup city needs and that Seattle has. Here’s a summary of the best points in his opinion piece:
1. Its Neighbors Are Close Enough to Pitch In
Open working spaces; Apple HQ’s intentionally inefficient office layout; and the concept of Silicon Valley — they all rely on being close to others who have similar but different interests. Collaboration makes things happen. That’s why being near significant sources of venture finance is a big boost for an incubator city:
2. The University of Washington
A good startup city needs a top-tier research university:
3. A Culture of Community
Seattle’s history of moderately benevolent public figures meshes well with the tech community’s emphasis on public service and making the world a better place. There list of examples here is long enough to turn into some confusing word salad, but it’s pretty convincing: Pike’s Place and Dick’s Drive-In are also great examples of the small business culture that keeps the tech world healthy.
4. Don’t Look Down on Startups
Seattle’s culture is definitely less focused on traditional or blue-collar jobs, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have room to grow. I’m from the Seattle area, and can confirm that people in the tech community can be just as pompous and arrogant as they are humble.
5. It’s Still Young
This one sounds a little counter-intuitive: Of course the emerging startup city is going to be young. But being youthful is a great way to ensure that every startup matters. Startups need to produce a real product that people will pay real money for, and that’s easier for startups to remember when the culture that surrounds them is still a little on the skeptical side.
