6 ms·

My startup friends and I here in Brisbane, Australia talk quite a bit about going to San Fran to "soak up the start-up vibe". I often joke about having the ner

My startup friends and I here in Brisbane, Australia talk quite a bit about going to San Fran to "soak up the start-up vibe". I often joke about having the nerve to set up camp in a coffee shop there and whip out my Surface Pro, fire up visual studio, and sling some C# and see how quickly I'll get hated on. I do wonder, will that really happen? Honest question.

seanmcdirmid 13y ago
Not sure, but if you had a Nokia tablet instead, you might have some cute girls come up to you and say "hey that's pretty!"
broodbucket 13y ago
Where is the startup culture in Brisbane? I dunno where to look.
- shearnie 13y ago
  Silicon Beach is a good start. http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Beach-Brisbane/ http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Beach-Brisbane/ If you can stomach being in a Microsoft building, the Startup Masterminds group is fantastic. I go each time I can. http://www.meetup.com/StartUp-Mastermind-Groups/ http://www.meetup.com/StartUp-Mastermind-Groups/
icefox 13y ago
Just begging for some sort of poke.... Hmm how about: Even if you got some negative comments it wouldn't be much as you would have to put it away when its battery died before long ;D Seriously C# is nice and while I am a die hard unix guy I wouldn't be caught owning a MS laptop myself I am coding with C# server code at work at am enjoying the experience. I would honestly be curious what you could do doing in C#. MS is giving no direction on the future of C#, desktop is suppose to be JavaScript now? Server isn't about C#, but supports everything? XBox cross platform stuff is shutdown, silverlight dead.... So you hacking in it in a coffee shop would be a curiosity.
- keithwarren 13y ago
  "MS is giving no direction on the future of C#, desktop is suppose to be JavaScript now..." What planet did that come from? Microsoft made a play to get Javascript devs to be capable of building native windows apps which all things considered was a smart strategic move - that has not worked out. So no, Javascript is not the way to build desktop apps - it is one way, to build one type of app for Windows 8. Future of C#? Are you kidding me? That is just lazy to make a statement like that. For all the recent love of F# and the resurgence of focus on C++, C# is still the king in Redmond.
- bcoates 13y ago
  According to Microsoft, JavaScript has been the future of Windows desktop applications since at least 1997. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
- _random_ 13y ago
  Things you can do with C#: 1) Web using ASP.NET MVC 2) Desktop using WPF, XAML 3) Mobile on any platform via Xamarin Mono PS: if you see someone hacking C# in a coffee shop, than it's most likely something for mobile, highly-portable and probably a game (MonoGame and Unity are pushing C# mainstream as it's much better than dealing with Obj C or JavaScript).
  - icefox 13y ago
    I'll give you #1, but from digging into the topic #2 is very much up in the air long term and I would be very wary of starting any new project with it #3 doesn't count as it is through Xamarin as I was explicitly talking about Microsoft plans.
dekz 13y ago
Well Brisbane is pretty Java/MS stack heavy. I haven't found many lean startups or bigger companies that don't use a heavy off the shelf stack.
- shearnie 13y ago
  You're right about that. My background is MS since I started getting a real job in the late 90's. I'd like to be more hipsterish and start-up with open source, but with BizSpark and free Visual Studio and Azure and being able to build quickly just because of my familiarity with the MS stack it's very hard not to stay locked in to that ecosystem. I'm writing this now inside Microsoft on George street who let's you use their offices for free surrounded by MS <3 start-up standees and brochures. We all know suspiciously it's MS's evil lurings to try to appeal to the startup scene so we can keep giving $$$ to them after our freebies have expired. However I'm also sanguine that they may have a change in attitude with their open source contributions and startup initiatives and linux or node images on Azure they might be genuinely wanting to be more "open". That's what I'm hoping for. I am not looking forward to being stung with a massive SQL licence bill.
kstrauser 13y ago
My coworkers and I in SF went to a coffee shop / workspace subsidized by a megabank today. Odd vibe, but everyone's nice and the coffee's cheap, so... We saw a few people using Dells and other Windows laptops. No one hated on them, but they definitely drew odd looks - not of aggression, but of confusion. At worst, people would dismiss you as a banker who got lost and ended up in a tech neighborhood. You just don't see anyone here in startup-friendly places using Windows.
- charleslmunger 13y ago
  Because why would you? You have to pay money for an inferior product.
rsynnott 13y ago
I can't imagine so. Really, most people do not care what computer you use.

seanmcdirmid 13y ago

Not sure, but if you had a Nokia tablet instead, you might have some cute girls come up to you and say "hey that's pretty!"

broodbucket 13y ago

Where is the startup culture in Brisbane? I dunno where to look.

shearnie 13y ago
Silicon Beach is a good start. http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Beach-Brisbane/ http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Beach-Brisbane/ If you can stomach being in a Microsoft building, the Startup Masterminds group is fantastic. I go each time I can. http://www.meetup.com/StartUp-Mastermind-Groups/ http://www.meetup.com/StartUp-Mastermind-Groups/

icefox 13y ago

Just begging for some sort of poke.... Hmm how about: Even if you got some negative comments it wouldn't be much as you would have to put it away when its battery died before long ;D Seriously C# is nice and while I am a die hard unix guy I wouldn't be caught owning a MS laptop myself I am coding with C# server code at work at am enjoying the experience. I would honestly be curious what you could do doing in C#. MS is giving no direction on the future of C#, desktop is suppose to be JavaScript now? Server isn't about C#, but supports everything? XBox cross platform stuff is shutdown, silverlight dead.... So you hacking in it in a coffee shop would be a curiosity.

keithwarren 13y ago
"MS is giving no direction on the future of C#, desktop is suppose to be JavaScript now..." What planet did that come from? Microsoft made a play to get Javascript devs to be capable of building native windows apps which all things considered was a smart strategic move - that has not worked out. So no, Javascript is not the way to build desktop apps - it is one way, to build one type of app for Windows 8. Future of C#? Are you kidding me? That is just lazy to make a statement like that. For all the recent love of F# and the resurgence of focus on C++, C# is still the king in Redmond.
bcoates 13y ago
According to Microsoft, JavaScript has been the future of Windows desktop applications since at least 1997. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
_random_ 13y ago
Things you can do with C#: 1) Web using ASP.NET MVC 2) Desktop using WPF, XAML 3) Mobile on any platform via Xamarin Mono PS: if you see someone hacking C# in a coffee shop, than it's most likely something for mobile, highly-portable and probably a game (MonoGame and Unity are pushing C# mainstream as it's much better than dealing with Obj C or JavaScript).
- icefox 13y ago
  I'll give you #1, but from digging into the topic #2 is very much up in the air long term and I would be very wary of starting any new project with it #3 doesn't count as it is through Xamarin as I was explicitly talking about Microsoft plans.

dekz 13y ago

Well Brisbane is pretty Java/MS stack heavy. I haven't found many lean startups or bigger companies that don't use a heavy off the shelf stack.

shearnie 13y ago
You're right about that. My background is MS since I started getting a real job in the late 90's. I'd like to be more hipsterish and start-up with open source, but with BizSpark and free Visual Studio and Azure and being able to build quickly just because of my familiarity with the MS stack it's very hard not to stay locked in to that ecosystem. I'm writing this now inside Microsoft on George street who let's you use their offices for free surrounded by MS <3 start-up standees and brochures. We all know suspiciously it's MS's evil lurings to try to appeal to the startup scene so we can keep giving $$$ to them after our freebies have expired. However I'm also sanguine that they may have a change in attitude with their open source contributions and startup initiatives and linux or node images on Azure they might be genuinely wanting to be more "open". That's what I'm hoping for. I am not looking forward to being stung with a massive SQL licence bill.

kstrauser 13y ago

My coworkers and I in SF went to a coffee shop / workspace subsidized by a megabank today. Odd vibe, but everyone's nice and the coffee's cheap, so... We saw a few people using Dells and other Windows laptops. No one hated on them, but they definitely drew odd looks - not of aggression, but of confusion. At worst, people would dismiss you as a banker who got lost and ended up in a tech neighborhood. You just don't see anyone here in startup-friendly places using Windows.

charleslmunger 13y ago
Because why would you? You have to pay money for an inferior product.

rsynnott 13y ago

I can't imagine so. Really, most people do not care what computer you use.