Tom4370 - you write - "Heck, I wonder if semi-decent mentorship for founders from people who actually got something out-the-door would be more helpful than just

Tom4370 - you write - "Heck, I wonder if semi-decent mentorship for founders from people who actually got something out-the-door would be more helpful than just having some VC opening the checkbook." . . . .Yes ! The CED should have offered this hands-on mentorship program for entrepreneurs. And I am not talking about another conference or speaker series or fraternity mixer.. . . .very disappointing. And "yes" - there is a very strong talent pool of techie folks, business folks and support folks (one of the nicest people I know is actually a Lawyer - Fred Hutchison). As for "customer base" - 2 points - RTP, depending on your sector has a strong customer base. But,the necessary proximity of the customer base is more dependent upon what you ar doing, who can introduce you, etc. And finally, my comments about "passivity, complacency, and parochialism" were not directed at just the entrepreneur base - if anything, it was directed at the VC base, the Incubator base and the Mentorship base you mention in your comment above. Entrepreneurs will be entrepreneurs and work hard and innovate and . . . . . only if the rest of the Seed Community around them gives them a good reason to be Entrepreneurs.