Why startups should look for opportunity between the coasts

Why startups should look for opportunity between the coasts

Dozens of cities around the nation have everything Silicon Valley does, except the crushing costs

By Alexi Harding, Entrepreneur

downtown-madison-wi-arts-entertainment-and-politics-1Tech entrepreneurs are the cool kids on the block. Whereas young people once aspired to be rockstars or astronauts, today they dream of being startup founders, flush with venture capital and working out of sleek, open-plan offices in San Francisco’s trendy SoMA district or New York’s bustling Flatiron neighborhood.

Every year, countless founders make their way to these golden cities, armed with little more than a dream and a prayer. But truth be told, these entrepreneurs are making a key (and possibly fatal) mistake: they’re focusing narrowly on a handful of established startup hubs where rents, taxes and regulations are out of control. The competition is fierce and unrelenting.

The picture is much more favorable outside the coasts: there are many emerging tech centers throughout the country offering the same high caliber of intellectual talent and expertise, but at a fraction of the cost. Read more …