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I highly disagree. Beyond medical/bio, Ann Arbor is way to small to support any large scale change in the overall state market. While it does have it's own sma

I highly disagree. Beyond medical/bio, Ann Arbor is way to small to support any large scale change in the overall state market. While it does have it's own small footing, it has little resource to expand outside of it's own due to it's location. The location has corn fields to the north, west, and south. To the east...between ann arbor and detroit you have...Canton, Plymouth, Van Buren, Romulus, Taylor...all of those are heavy manufacturing communities. Which goes on to my prior point. You have to change culture in order to do that. The culture of the state is manufacturing with some bio/medical (Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids). Any innovation can really only come from 1 of 4 places... Detroit (metro), Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Ann Arbor has a small scene, but doesn't have the ability to grow without passing of that scene to a larger community. Lansing is primarily government and manufacturing. There is Michigan State University (50k+ students), but it's a school with a primary focus on agriculture and not techonology. This leaves Detroit and Grand Rapids. In regard's to Detroit, let's think about it for a moment. It is very much like taking the idea that you can easily change the culture and mindset of silicon valley from tech to manufacturing and industrial. The people in silicon valley and the surrounding area do not have the skillset as a whole to provide that type of industry. As well as through generations, the mindset of the people as a whole is not directed towards a manufacturing environment. This is what is going on with Detroit. You have had a VERY large portion of the economy (65%+) purely based on some type of auto manufacturing. This is why Detroit city is at around 20% unemployment and the surrounding metro is around 8-10% unemployment. Now..this leaves us with Grand Rapids. Which actually is a viable candidate. It has a younger generation overall, an international airport, a moderately sized city with room for expansion, and a vibrant downtown. Then..we have to look further at the ability to grow a tech environment. Is there the skill's needed? Are there investors available to fund companies in this area? Are there incentives to stay in the area? In reality, all of those answers are relatively "No". You can get better talent in a warmer climate with the same exact (if not better) opportunities (funding, viability, community backing, tax incentives..etc) in other cities with a better climate (yes, climate is really a big deal)...such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle. Unless Michigan does something drastic like being a startup tax-haven, having major incubators, or the like; it will never happen. Too many other places offer the same or much better, but in a more comfortable climate. (In case anyone think's climate isn't a big deal, try moving to Alaska or Montana. They offer break's for startup's, but when was the last time you heard anyone taking those states up on their offers?).

segmondy 11y ago
Ann Arbor has more venture capital per capita than Silicon Valley http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20141212/BLOG007/141219951/ann-arbor-has-more-venture-capital-per-capita-than-silicon-valley http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20141212/BLOG007/141219... http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/04/post_3.html http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/04/po... http://vcwithme.co/2014/12/02/greatest-concentration-of-venture-capital-not-where-you-think/ http://vcwithme.co/2014/12/02/greatest-concentration-of-vent...
- codeddesign 11y ago
  "per capita" bro in a population of 100,000 people. That could be 1 person giving a company (doesn't have to be a startup) a large sum, in which the per capita would sky-rocket. The discussion isn't over whether someone can run a startup successfully in Michigan or Ann Arbor. The discussion is whether Detroit (or Michigan) can become a technology hub. After being born in Michigan and living their for 25 years, I can easily say that while there is deffinately the ability to build and run a startup, the ability to change the industry of the state (or even just Detroit) is really next to impossible unless the city/state was willing to go to drastic measures to attract talent/encourage startups (low/no tax, office space, incubators, free money startup capital...etc), and educate the public on their goal's. Even is the state was able to give every startup no taxes for 10 years and startup capital, the response from the general public would be "why are you helping them?!, I am the one without the job. Why aren't you trying to attract more manufacturing?!" While I love my state, it's not a viable place to build any startup. A high small business tax, and small talent pool that most state's face when asking themselves "how can we bring in more technology?" Back to Ann Arbor... It's a nice cozy city with a major university. In regards to work force, where are you getting employee's? From the college? That's like the valley pulling it's entire work force from Stanford. In regard's to a startup boom in Ann Arbor, where are the people going to live? The city isn't large enough for any large scale change. Can you build multiple Google's, Apple's, or Amazon's there? Is the city viably committing to building out it's infrastructure in order to have this be a silicon valley? Building a startup is one thing, creating an entire industry is a totally different animal. The state in general is committed to manufacturing as it has been for 100 years. In 15 years there will be a new generation of politicians and then maybe we will see if the climate changes. However, I can assure you that from a bureaucratic level, there is no such strive for a "silicon valley" in michigan. Simply put: people want jobs. They see the west coast. They see tech as high paying. They want high pay. They want tech. However, the cost of getting that is going to be much greater in monetary and sacrifice than people will/are willing to do.

segmondy 11y ago

Ann Arbor has more venture capital per capita than Silicon Valley http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20141212/BLOG007/141219951/ann-arbor-has-more-venture-capital-per-capita-than-silicon-valley http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20141212/BLOG007/141219... http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/04/post_3.html http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/04/po... http://vcwithme.co/2014/12/02/greatest-concentration-of-venture-capital-not-where-you-think/ http://vcwithme.co/2014/12/02/greatest-concentration-of-vent...

codeddesign 11y ago
"per capita" bro in a population of 100,000 people. That could be 1 person giving a company (doesn't have to be a startup) a large sum, in which the per capita would sky-rocket. The discussion isn't over whether someone can run a startup successfully in Michigan or Ann Arbor. The discussion is whether Detroit (or Michigan) can become a technology hub. After being born in Michigan and living their for 25 years, I can easily say that while there is deffinately the ability to build and run a startup, the ability to change the industry of the state (or even just Detroit) is really next to impossible unless the city/state was willing to go to drastic measures to attract talent/encourage startups (low/no tax, office space, incubators, free money startup capital...etc), and educate the public on their goal's. Even is the state was able to give every startup no taxes for 10 years and startup capital, the response from the general public would be "why are you helping them?!, I am the one without the job. Why aren't you trying to attract more manufacturing?!" While I love my state, it's not a viable place to build any startup. A high small business tax, and small talent pool that most state's face when asking themselves "how can we bring in more technology?" Back to Ann Arbor... It's a nice cozy city with a major university. In regards to work force, where are you getting employee's? From the college? That's like the valley pulling it's entire work force from Stanford. In regard's to a startup boom in Ann Arbor, where are the people going to live? The city isn't large enough for any large scale change. Can you build multiple Google's, Apple's, or Amazon's there? Is the city viably committing to building out it's infrastructure in order to have this be a silicon valley? Building a startup is one thing, creating an entire industry is a totally different animal. The state in general is committed to manufacturing as it has been for 100 years. In 15 years there will be a new generation of politicians and then maybe we will see if the climate changes. However, I can assure you that from a bureaucratic level, there is no such strive for a "silicon valley" in michigan. Simply put: people want jobs. They see the west coast. They see tech as high paying. They want high pay. They want tech. However, the cost of getting that is going to be much greater in monetary and sacrifice than people will/are willing to do.