Tech Startups Don’t Need the Valley Unless They Need VC

Re:Tech Startups Don’t Need the Valley Unless They Need VC by trapper on Monday March 16, 2009 @09:14AM (#518108)

I refer to the book: how to measure anything. Measurement is the reduction in uncertainty, not paralysis by analysis. Often you can get great reductions in uncertainty with simple methods if you think for a few minutes.

Some examples that the book may help you with could be looking at the governmental statistics for new businesses by geographical location (e.g. if they are better, then this must show in turnover right?). Geographical distributions of the last 10 years Fast 50/100, breaking the groups up by funding type.

Are you so certain that the probability of success is higher in the valley? It seems to me that the majority of the people who say this have something to gain, directly or indirectly from this being promoted as fact. This is usually an indicator of a falsehood.

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Re:Tech Startups Don’t Need the Valley Unless They Need VC by paulbaumgart on Monday March 16, 2009 @12:49PM (#518391)

That looks like it might be a worthwhile book. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm not "so certain that the probability of success is higher in the valley," but there are two main reasons I think there might be something to it: firstly the fact that people whose opinions I respect are saying it, and secondly the anecdotal-evidence-based but sensible conventional wisdom about meeting more relevant people (whether for funding, employees, advisors, bouncing around ideas, etc.) in the valley.

I haven't noticed as much that "the majority of the people who say this have something to gain, directly or indirectly from this being promoted as fact," but maybe I haven't been paying enough attention. :-)

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Re:Tech Startups Don’t Need the Valley Unless They Need VC by trapper on Monday March 16, 2009 @06:44PM (#518929)

I am a full time skeptic and tend to notice these things :)

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