There are a few good companies in Houston outside the energy industry. FlightAware is probably at the top of the list. That said, there are huge software engi

There are a few good companies in Houston outside the energy industry. FlightAware is probably at the top of the list. That said, there are huge software engineering challenges within oil. The work environment isn't what most here are comfortable with (especially Exxon and their accountability system shudder) but Houston's industries offer some extraordinary challenges for the taking. The largest medical center in the world as well as a growing financial industry offer a lot of opportunities in Big Data. I would've stayed in Houston but I decided San Antonio had a more interesting startup ecosystem (Austin's not my cup of tea). Having TechStars and Geekdom here has really heated things up in past years.