Re:The MassChallenge Startups Raise $90M+ & Create 500 Jobs
by pyoung on Tuesday August 09, 2011 @07:50PM
(#2866027)
Creating tech jobs does nothing to solve the unemployment crisis. I don't have any stats, but my guess is that the unemployment numbers for qualified tech workers are already absurdly low. Unless these guys are building manufacturing plants in the mid-west, I doubt any of these companies will have any significant impact on unemployment numbers.
Re:The MassChallenge Startups Raise $90M+ & Create 500 Jobs
by smanek on Tuesday August 09, 2011 @08:38PM
(#2866179)
Creating tech jobs will drive tech salaries up. That will attract new workers to tech (make it worth the investment to retrain, etc), and 'trickle down' money to manufacturing and other industries.
Making the pie bigger is good.
Of course $90M and a few hundred jobs won't shift equilibrium much on its own, but it's a step in the right direction.
Re:The MassChallenge Startups Raise $90M+ & Create 500 Jobs
by pyoung on Tuesday August 09, 2011 @09:13PM
(#2866279)
Trickle down? Seriously?
Even if trickle down had a positive effect on the economy (which it doesn't), technology tends to have a negative effect on employment anyway. I am all for advances in technology, it increases efficiency, productivity, and quality of life. But let's face it, Amazon put a ton of brick and mortars out of business, e-mail's killing the postal service, humans are pushed out of manufacturing jobs by advances in robotics, etc...
Re:The MassChallenge Startups Raise $90M+ & Create 500 Jobs
by cgarb on Tuesday August 09, 2011 @08:53PM
(#2866224)
Agreed with smanek - step in the right direction and trickle down does make sense. Where we have a problem is our educational infrastructure. We would see way more people going into tech if we had more people able to teach it to them. Need to be teaching CS way earlier in school and should be mandatory. CS should replace lost manufacturing jobs.
Re:The MassChallenge Startups Raise $90M+ & Create 500 Jobs
by dbfclark on Tuesday August 09, 2011 @10:34PM
(#2866483)
Just FYI, MassChallenge is already the Massachusetts partner of Startup America, the White House's initiative to promote entrepreneurship. I think they know.
Re:The MassChallenge Startups Raise $90M+ & Create 500 Jobs
by marcamillion on Tuesday August 09, 2011 @10:22PM
(#2866444)
Any entrepreneur looking to raise money now, shouldn't. Focus on generating cash flow.
The party is about to end. Those sky-high valuations and relatively easy deal flow will be coming to a trickle over the next few months, as we see the financial markets take a beating.
Making the pie bigger is good.
Of course $90M and a few hundred jobs won't shift equilibrium much on its own, but it's a step in the right direction.
Even if trickle down had a positive effect on the economy (which it doesn't), technology tends to have a negative effect on employment anyway. I am all for advances in technology, it increases efficiency, productivity, and quality of life. But let's face it, Amazon put a ton of brick and mortars out of business, e-mail's killing the postal service, humans are pushed out of manufacturing jobs by advances in robotics, etc...
The party is about to end. Those sky-high valuations and relatively easy deal flow will be coming to a trickle over the next few months, as we see the financial markets take a beating.