Yes, the piece is definitely short on evidence and high on anecdotes, but you know there's a grain of truth to it. In the UK if I told a random person I was st

Yes, the piece is definitely short on evidence and high on anecdotes, but you know there's a grain of truth to it. In the UK if I told a random person I was starting a company, I'd be met with a blank stare or maybe I'd be told "wow, you're brave" or just "you're crazy". Actually I don't think it's much different in most of the US. But in the Bay Area, there's barely anyone I can talk to (in the 'scene' or not) who won't have a word of encouragement or a useful contact. I'm not kidding - I've talked to people who, from their lifestyles and interests, I would assume would have no connection whatsoever with startups - but almost invariably that's nearly impossible in the Bay Area. If the US had universal healthcare I think it'd be more appealing. I couldn't agree more. The US healthcare system is cruel, unfair, arbitrary, random, and very wasteful. If Grayson's bill passed, I would buy into Medicare in a heartbeat. I could talk all day about how shitty the current situation is ;)