5 ms·

Silicon Slopes? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Slopes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Slopes - Population > 1,000,000 - Serviced by 2 great unive

Silicon Slopes? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Slopes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Slopes - Population > 1,000,000 - Serviced by 2 great universities (UoU, BYU) - Utah is a top 5 state for # of Unicorn Companies From the wiki I shared: "The Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development allows a variety of grants and tax incentives to companies willing to either relocate or expand their enterprise" Note: I live in Seattle, not Utah.

bearforcenine 9y ago
Utah could be a great fit based on Amazon's preferences for a site if they build something along the I-15 corridor. It's within 30 miles of a population center, within 45 minutes to the airport, directly off a major highway, front runner rail stations run along I-15, and you might be able to find 100 acres of space - especially if they were to put it out where the prison is now (it's moving soon).
scottpiper 9y ago
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I do AWS security consulting. I would love this. I've lived all over the US (Boulder, SF, Austin, DC, and more) and because I do remote work I can work anywhere, and I chose to move here as the best place for my interests.
SaintGhurka 9y ago
I wonder if SLC would be disqualified because it would harm rather than help Amazon's diversity efforts.
- devmunchies 9y ago
  Not building an HQ somewhere because of race sounds like racism to me. This is the problem with considering race at all for hiring decisions. Race != diversity. If their diversity efforts are for the sake of new thinking, it would benefit their diversity efforts. If their diversity efforts stop at skin color, then yeah, you are right.
  - nkassis 9y ago
    I think it's fine to consider attractiveness to a diverse workforce. It's not racism to pick a city that is more diverse than another. It just says we want to make it attractive to the most different type of people possible. It's not just race, other factors make SLC possibly less attractive to minority groups beyond race. And to be fair I don't know how true those concerns are for SLC just making a general point that considering diversity and location isn't a problem
xxpor 9y ago
Socially, Utah could not be more different than Seattle. SLC is one thing, but that's one small slice of a much bigger state. You'd be able to attract people who live there already, but there's 0 chance someone like me would be interested in living there. Note: I work for Amazon, but have no input at all in this process. This is the first I'm hearing about it.
- devmunchies 9y ago
  > Socially, Utah could not be more different than Seattle Its called diversity of thought.
- fooey 9y ago
  I completely agree with that generalization The people who want to work for Amazon wouldn't like living in Utah, and the people living in Utah wouldn't like the people who work for Amazon I've been in tech in Southern Utah for almost 20 years, and it's extremely difficult to find qualified people. If I didn't have a house I love, and family around, I would have left a long time ago.
  - devmunchies 9y ago
    Southern Utah is way different/smaller than northern. Is there even a $1billion company HQ'd in southern Utah? I'm in Seattle but my company is HQ'd in Utah Valley. There is lots of tech talent in Northern Utah. Heck, Angular Conf and React Rally are in SLC every year for a reason.
    - fooey 9y ago
      No tech companies that I know of yet (finger's crossed), but they're taking steps to try to attract more: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2017/08/22/mgk-big-plans-slated-for-tech-ridge-city-calls-on-prospective-developers-to-be-part-of-the-vision/ https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2017/08/22/mgk-big... The only billion dollar company HQ around here I can think of is SkyWest (https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/SKYW:US https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/SKYW:US)
    - 9y ago
knicholes 9y ago
gasp You forgot UVU!
product50 9y ago
I know you want to pitch SS but saying UoU and BYU are great universities is just wrong. Indeed, attracting talent in Utah is going to be one of Amazon's biggest challenges if it opens an office there.
- devmunchies 9y ago
  > I know you want to pitch SS Frankly, I don't care either way. I work in downtown Seattle in Amazon's back yard. I just know SS has a healthy tech scene and not a lot of people know about it. > saying UoU and BYU are great universities is just wrong What? Am I missing something?
  - product50 9y ago
    Here are the top eng colleges in US: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/eng-rankings https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering... Do you see UoU and BYU there in the top 50? I don't either. For contrast, 2 of Silicon Valley's univs are in top 5.
    - devmunchies 9y ago
      Ok, they are both top 100 for engineering and top 50 for business programs. I think you are confusing "great" with "top" or "prestigious". They are great universities. And college rankings aren't everything. Those universities put out a high volume entrepreneurs, more than most of the top 50 engineering schools. For example, I don't see most of the top engineering schools on this list: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHB_9l_UAAE8Fzn.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHB_9l_UAAE8Fzn.jpg
      - david-cako 9y ago
        I suspect this is a Utah cultural affect. Mormon attitudes and community culture VERY strongly promotes entrepreneurship. Missions are good sales experience too.
    - 9y ago
yahna 9y ago
You would have to convince a lot of people to live in Utah though. Very religious/conservative state, to the point where it does influence things.

bearforcenine 9y ago

Utah could be a great fit based on Amazon's preferences for a site if they build something along the I-15 corridor. It's within 30 miles of a population center, within 45 minutes to the airport, directly off a major highway, front runner rail stations run along I-15, and you might be able to find 100 acres of space - especially if they were to put it out where the prison is now (it's moving soon).

scottpiper 9y ago

I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I do AWS security consulting. I would love this. I've lived all over the US (Boulder, SF, Austin, DC, and more) and because I do remote work I can work anywhere, and I chose to move here as the best place for my interests.

SaintGhurka 9y ago

I wonder if SLC would be disqualified because it would harm rather than help Amazon's diversity efforts.

devmunchies 9y ago
Not building an HQ somewhere because of race sounds like racism to me. This is the problem with considering race at all for hiring decisions. Race != diversity. If their diversity efforts are for the sake of new thinking, it would benefit their diversity efforts. If their diversity efforts stop at skin color, then yeah, you are right.
- nkassis 9y ago
  I think it's fine to consider attractiveness to a diverse workforce. It's not racism to pick a city that is more diverse than another. It just says we want to make it attractive to the most different type of people possible. It's not just race, other factors make SLC possibly less attractive to minority groups beyond race. And to be fair I don't know how true those concerns are for SLC just making a general point that considering diversity and location isn't a problem

xxpor 9y ago

Socially, Utah could not be more different than Seattle. SLC is one thing, but that's one small slice of a much bigger state. You'd be able to attract people who live there already, but there's 0 chance someone like me would be interested in living there. Note: I work for Amazon, but have no input at all in this process. This is the first I'm hearing about it.

devmunchies 9y ago
> Socially, Utah could not be more different than Seattle Its called diversity of thought.
fooey 9y ago
I completely agree with that generalization The people who want to work for Amazon wouldn't like living in Utah, and the people living in Utah wouldn't like the people who work for Amazon I've been in tech in Southern Utah for almost 20 years, and it's extremely difficult to find qualified people. If I didn't have a house I love, and family around, I would have left a long time ago.
- devmunchies 9y ago
  Southern Utah is way different/smaller than northern. Is there even a $1billion company HQ'd in southern Utah? I'm in Seattle but my company is HQ'd in Utah Valley. There is lots of tech talent in Northern Utah. Heck, Angular Conf and React Rally are in SLC every year for a reason.
  - fooey 9y ago
    No tech companies that I know of yet (finger's crossed), but they're taking steps to try to attract more: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2017/08/22/mgk-big-plans-slated-for-tech-ridge-city-calls-on-prospective-developers-to-be-part-of-the-vision/ https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2017/08/22/mgk-big... The only billion dollar company HQ around here I can think of is SkyWest (https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/SKYW:US https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/SKYW:US)
  - 9y ago

knicholes 9y ago

gasp You forgot UVU!

product50 9y ago

I know you want to pitch SS but saying UoU and BYU are great universities is just wrong. Indeed, attracting talent in Utah is going to be one of Amazon's biggest challenges if it opens an office there.

devmunchies 9y ago
> I know you want to pitch SS Frankly, I don't care either way. I work in downtown Seattle in Amazon's back yard. I just know SS has a healthy tech scene and not a lot of people know about it. > saying UoU and BYU are great universities is just wrong What? Am I missing something?
- product50 9y ago
  Here are the top eng colleges in US: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/eng-rankings https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering... Do you see UoU and BYU there in the top 50? I don't either. For contrast, 2 of Silicon Valley's univs are in top 5.
  - devmunchies 9y ago
    Ok, they are both top 100 for engineering and top 50 for business programs. I think you are confusing "great" with "top" or "prestigious". They are great universities. And college rankings aren't everything. Those universities put out a high volume entrepreneurs, more than most of the top 50 engineering schools. For example, I don't see most of the top engineering schools on this list: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHB_9l_UAAE8Fzn.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHB_9l_UAAE8Fzn.jpg
    - david-cako 9y ago
      I suspect this is a Utah cultural affect. Mormon attitudes and community culture VERY strongly promotes entrepreneurship. Missions are good sales experience too.
  - 9y ago

yahna 9y ago

You would have to convince a lot of people to live in Utah though. Very religious/conservative state, to the point where it does influence things.