When I moved to Orlando a few years ago I was relocating from St. Louis; a place with just enough startup and technology culture to supply almost a third of my client base during most seasons. As someone who still enjoys the perks of working at home, that was enough to keep me out in the growing community and also enough that I wasn't feeling hermetic from working and living in the same building every day. Comparitively, since being in Orlando, local clients have supplied less than 10% of my overall workload of the previous years. I have also tried my best to make it well known that local clients get a fairly large discount. The result ? I have since taken on new hobbies to get me out of the house.
I Have Arrived
Upon moving here, my initial strategy of heavy face-to-face networking has paid off in dividends of great local colleagues, friends, mentors and high level contacts ... but no clients. I was a founding board member of a rapidly growing technology organization that seemingly lost intertia as of late ... again, amazing people, but supplied me with no local work. Also, being in the conference capital of the world I spoke at many conferences that supplied fantastic brand growth, exposure and clients from the locations the visitors attending were from ... but nothing local.
However, a recently observed perk, I do find myself often in a great position of expertise here, where as conversing and visiting colleagues within Silicon Valley and other startup locales seems like I am equally matched. I suppose this is what they mean whey they say "big fish, small pond". I have also noticed that when people are looking for my services, there is really no one else competing in the space; the referral becomes mine by default at most times.
Changing Perspective
So what is a startup guy to do in a non-startup city ? I could potentially disregard the city I live in and continue moving forward with growth initiatives within locations that provide me with a more steady stream of work (and for less effort, to be honest). This is however only a viable strategy if I wanted to stay at home 24/7. I could move somewhere else that would provide me with both column A and B; but moving is not an easy option for reasons I would not disclose here. Finally, I could attempt to grow startup culture in this city and align myself with those that are looking to do the same; a difficult egg that I have tried to crack on more than one occasion. Again, this endeavor is significantly more effort for about the same amount of return. I would love to see it happen, but perhaps I have been swimming against the current.
However, I have seen a recent influx of promising events, such as TechVenture from this past December, and the even more recent Venture Lounge from the startup-esque Voxeo building that I was unable to attend. Upcoming events such as Startup Orlando, and the always popular BarCamp annual in April make for inspiring get-togethers ... but is this causing anyone really start something big ? Are people actually making things happen ... or is this just like trying to start a surfing club in Minnesota ?
The Root of the Problem
The underlying cause is actually in our investment community. Well, to rephrase its not their problem, they are rich, they can do whatever they want with their money. These investors, who have made their money from real-estate and other tourism related initiatives .... (1) wouldn't recognize new technology that is worth their capital (2) generally don't have a steady deal-flow and (3) are not familiar with how to be involved properly.
... so they get involved with the wrong resources. UCF Incubator / Venture Lab, for example is, in my opinion, a wrong resource for investors. They apparently do things, on occasion, for brick-and-mortar companies, but being in the startup and technology trenches myself, I haven't heard anything good come through the mouths of people that have reached out from technology and startup pipelines. Another swing and a miss is the "angel groups" that have invested in about 3 deals over the last 10 years. In addition, many of the government groups that are promoting "economic development" and do in-fact list startups as one of their areas, seem to maintain a principle of gathering already promising companies to relocate here to do business.
Culture = "Keeping up with the Joneses"
I believe we need more envious examples. We need startups that are venture backed in order to show to everyone else what is actually possible. Those possiblities get people motivated to try and replicate the example and then they create something new and envious; and the process repeats itself over and over again until it has become standard protocol. It then becomes an industry. What we need is that first catalyst. The poster child. A big, famous startup that everyone falls in love with and makes a ton of money. Sounds easy enough right ?
The Ripple Effect
This "patient zero" of Orlando startups will then show the local investors that giving a promising team with a promising product a shot is not a crazy gamble. They will then learn how to play the startup investor game ---> entrepreneurs will become inspired, and upon building something amazing will learn the proper rules to the game ---> patient zero's founders will get involved after an exit and make great things happen as well. The cycle repeats.
Lets take a look at Peter Thiel, founder PayPal to demonstrate this example. Founded the company in 1996. PayPal acquired several startups, making the founders of those startups wealthy. Those founders likely to get involved with future startups. Sold it in 2002 to eBay for $1.5B. Invested in Facebook. Facebook acquires startups. Both Facebook and PayPal alumni are significantly more likely to get funded due to their involvement with profitable startups. Investors have more money to play with because of the successes of these companies; and are more likely to play ball because it shows profitability.
We need a big win. Just one. Its not so hard right ? *wink*
Sad Truth
As stated above, this is a lot of work to get new local clients while I can simply reach out to somewhere else and keep busy. However, I do try my best to help out the potential "big wins" whenever I can. As a mentor with Florida Venture Sourcing, it provides me with a little up-to-date news on what is happening around the state. As the resident "startup guy" I often hear pitches, ideas and get asked for advice. Which is fantastic ... until a year goes by and the same people that I have seen with passion and inspiration in their eyes have flamed out due to the inability to make things happen in a rather stale environment.
Or I guess I could move ?
