I feel like you read a different article than I wrote. For one, Atlanta has the highest rate of entrepreneurism in the nation - true. Unfortunately, almost al

I feel like you read a different article than I wrote. For one, Atlanta has the highest rate of entrepreneurism in the nation - true. Unfortunately, almost all of those new businesses are not startups - they are under paid consultants and mom and pop shops. Anyone who has ever attended a Technology Association of Georgia event knows this to be indisputable fact. Corporate downsizing in our big-company town has driven this rate up. A former executive selling management consulting, or a former factory worker selling bait does not a startup make. As I said, the number of early stage deals in new ventures this year is very close to zero. If you're connected with the angel community, you know this is true. I didn't simply make it up. As to customer-driven development, what I am suggesting is that we embrace a model that involves customers at the stage where new entrepreneurs tend to look for investment capital. It is unfortunate that you didn't care for the article's tone, but I would encourage you to take a look into the customer development model - it has applicability in Atlanta, and elsewhere. As to a profound misunderstanding - I'm not sure you read the article that I wrote. Nowhere did I say that entrepreneurism is easy anywhere. Its hard everywhere. What I said was that Silicon Valley does support exceptional individuals with resources in every area to aid them in their success. Think about the definition of exceptional: way, way above average. People work hard in California, and they follow the California game plan and if they are exceptional, it often works. That game plan simply does not work anywhere near as well in Georgia, because it is a fundamentally different business environment. If you drew your livelihood from a startup in this area, you would probably understand that. No offense, sir, but you seem to have been rubbed the wrong way by someone else, and you are taking it out on me.