Brave Tech World

October 25, 2006

    John Cook writes the best blog in Seattle about Startups.

    He's asking if the Pacific Northwest is inferior in terms of entrepreneurs and business ideas? The short answer: YES!

    I can't speak for the Pacific Northwest, because I have no idea what is happening in Oregon (or Idaho), but I can talk about Seattle and vicinity.

    One of the pre-requisites for a lively entrepreneurial community is people. Smart people, risk-taker people, entrepreneur people. And we barely have that. Sure there are exceptions, but not enough to make a dent.

    IMHO, the reason we are even on the map in terms of technology, is the same reason that we don't have more Startups and business ideas: Microsoft.

    Microsoft is like a giant vacuum cleaner sucking all engineers that come near its headquarters. There are exceptions like those that are on the Microsoft-is-evil camp, the very few that prefer Amazon, RealNetworks or InfoSpace, and those that been there and left (like me).

    Once engineers are inside the vacuum cleaner, the g-force needed to escape is tremendous. You've got your exceptional benefits package, you make a very decent salary/living, and you have a bunch of Stock Options (or Stock Awards) that will be worth something someday. Why risk all that?

     The ones that think about leaving, they don't really think about leaving, they just want a different position on a different team, or more salary, or more stocks. It takes a while for them to realize that life outside the vacuum cleaner is, well, full of opportunities. Microsoft is like Plato's Cave experiment. People lose their touch with reality.

    So, if you are a Microsoft employee and you have just a tiny bit of entrepreneurial spirit... Fly, fly away and build a company or join a Startup and build a true legacy.

Comments (1) for "Is Seattle inferior in terms...

Marcelo, Thanks for the kind words. Interesting perspective on Microsoft. I have heard this from other Microsofties who have left the nest. They say it can be very tough to recruit people out of the company, partly because of what you posted above. John Cook By John Cook - 10/25/2006 5:40 AM