4 ms·

Seeing the Midwest figures is unsurprising and still disappointing. As someone pitching a startup, the number of big name investors that have asked where I’m ca

Seeing the Midwest figures is unsurprising and still disappointing. As someone pitching a startup, the number of big name investors that have asked where I’m calling from and have this look of “why?” or even outright asking it really shows some extreme bias. Given the world is moving more towards remote work, it’s strange that VCs still have this belief that only coastal areas can innovate.

esafak 3y ago
Tell 'em you're a remote company, if you are. State it in your pitch so they don't ask.
- thomasjb 3y ago
  Confusion ensues when you are 'remote first' and also manufacturing the latest in vertical lathes in your multi-dozen square foot shed
smabie 3y ago
So what's the why?
kaesar14 3y ago
I don't think it's such an unreasonable question when VCs are trying to maximize their investment, and being in a hot tech market has shown to be an accelerator in finding talent and growing a startup
- brazzy 3y ago
  How much of that "has shown to be" is just confirmation bias, though? Seems to me as likely to be a dampener on "finding talent" when you have to compete with FAANG (or MANGA, or whatever).
  - kaesar14 3y ago
    If you're in a market with 100k high quality devs and 80k choose to work at FAANG vs a market with 20k high quality devs where 10k choose to work at high paying regional companies, you're still winning on the talent pool. And I'm guessing the numbers are even more skewed than that. Additionally, the talent pool skews much younger in hot markets who are on average much more likely to be willing to take a risk and work really hard to make a startup take off. Obligatory disclaimer that I'm not saying non-hot markets are not filled with great devs and that older people cannot make a startup take off, just the odds are better in one vs. the other.
netman21 3y ago
During the dotcom boom I called Vinod Kkosla to pitch my Michigan based startup. Left a voice message. Got a call back to my 313 number from his assistant. Call went like this: Her: "Hi Mr. Khosla asked me to call to ask where you are located." Me: "Michigan" click

esafak 3y ago

Tell 'em you're a remote company, if you are. State it in your pitch so they don't ask.

thomasjb 3y ago
Confusion ensues when you are 'remote first' and also manufacturing the latest in vertical lathes in your multi-dozen square foot shed

smabie 3y ago

So what's the why?

kaesar14 3y ago

I don't think it's such an unreasonable question when VCs are trying to maximize their investment, and being in a hot tech market has shown to be an accelerator in finding talent and growing a startup

brazzy 3y ago
How much of that "has shown to be" is just confirmation bias, though? Seems to me as likely to be a dampener on "finding talent" when you have to compete with FAANG (or MANGA, or whatever).
- kaesar14 3y ago
  If you're in a market with 100k high quality devs and 80k choose to work at FAANG vs a market with 20k high quality devs where 10k choose to work at high paying regional companies, you're still winning on the talent pool. And I'm guessing the numbers are even more skewed than that. Additionally, the talent pool skews much younger in hot markets who are on average much more likely to be willing to take a risk and work really hard to make a startup take off. Obligatory disclaimer that I'm not saying non-hot markets are not filled with great devs and that older people cannot make a startup take off, just the odds are better in one vs. the other.

netman21 3y ago

During the dotcom boom I called Vinod Kkosla to pitch my Michigan based startup. Left a voice message. Got a call back to my 313 number from his assistant. Call went like this: Her: "Hi Mr. Khosla asked me to call to ask where you are located." Me: "Michigan" click