I have a ~2,600 word piece in the latest issue of The American, the publication of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, on how Boulder, CO became a start-up town. Excerpt:
In the past 15 years, Boulder has gone from a little hippie college town to a little hippie college town also boasting an impressive and growing congregation of Internet entrepreneurs, early-stage venture capitalists, and bloggers. How did Boulder pull this off? And what can other cities, policymakers, and entrepreneurs who want to boost their own start-up quotient—and overall competitiveness at a local level—learn from Boulder’s success?
The formatting — namely section breaks — is better in the print magazine.
Arnold Kling, in reflecting on the latest issue, called The American a "top notch" publication. I agree (my article excepted, of course!) it’s an engaging read for anyone interested in business and policy.
Savannah, GA is another city that has really made full use of its potential to be a hub for start-ups and creatives.
It’s got such an interesting mix of new, techy businesses and people and civil war history, Victorian architecture, and southern charm. Check it out: http://thecreativecoast.org
Really great read Ben, thanks for sharing. I especially liked and agreed with this excerpt, “This mentality is both one of Boulder’s great strengths—the eminent logic of working to live and not living to work, of prioritizing happiness and quality of life—and, its critics say, Boulder’s soft underbelly.”
I think Austin is also doing a solid job of becoming a bit of a tech savvy startup community, but what is really fascinating is watching the guys in the Bryan/College Station area pool together their resources in an effort to make the area fit this mold. How? The right people, with the right initiative that are also utilizing their success to help out the community.
awesome, Ben — I’ve been reading the American since the debut and was thrilled to find this gem in the new issue!