"If you're going to pay the very high price of doing business in the US, it might be a better plan to locate yourself somewhere a little less wrecked where it a

"If you're going to pay the very high price of doing business in the US, it might be a better plan to locate yourself somewhere a little less wrecked where it actually buys you something." Your comparisons to traditional emerging markets are well taken, but your last sentence highlights my point perfectly. Detroit is much more than abandoned buildings and abject poverty. Of course those are the easiest things to focus on because they cater to strong emotions. Meanwhile, all of the positive aspects about Detroit are subsequently white-washed. Detroit is a massive city encompassing 143 square miles, and much of it is in dire condition, but let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Keep in mind that there are pockets of Detroit in which amazing people are building incredible and exciting things, typically in a highly bootstrapped fashion. Blanket statements like, "less wrecked" imply that Detroit in its entirety is wrecked. This is certainly not the case as illustrated by companies like Shinola and VC firms like Ludlow Ventures. For additional examples, see: http://www.growdetroit.com/detroit-startup-list/ http://www.growdetroit.com/detroit-startup-list/. Of course I am biased as a native Michigander, but for life in general I much prefer to focus on silver linings than frayed seams.