I’ve been wrapped up in things lately and haven’t given as much attention to this blog as I did during the first 30 days (of course, this is only day 41 of this blog). So I was happy to see that Scott Burkett wrote a nice wrap up piece from the recent Angel Lounge event. It was a great event (thanks Scott, Mike, and Charlie!) and it was interesting to see who was at the table. Even more interesting was the fact that I was the youngest guy (I think) in the room. It makes me smile when that happens since it happens less and less nowadays.
I do want to comment on one part of Scott’s post though. In soapbox mode, Scott says (emphasis is mine)
There was a brief discussion about some past efforts to try and do the same thing we’re shooting for - and that those efforts were not terribly successful. I will simply say this. “We” are not “they”. Whatever happened before us is largely irrelevant to me. Granted, we want to examine the reasons as to why those efforts were not effective, and we have. But as I tell the folks that I work with professionally, I will almost always choose to look through the windshield, and not in the rear-view mirror.
But then, after soapbox mode, Scott says (again, emphasis is mine)
We will bring Atlanta/Georgia back to where it needs to be. It will take time, but we will do it.
Dangit Scott, you got trapped into the mindset you were just railing against. The things you and other folks (and myself) are doing aren’t to get back to where things need to be and they definitely aren’t about being “like” the Valley, or Boston, or wherever. What we’re all doing (at least I think and hope) is to make things better in Atlanta. There are so many reasons that entrepreneurs should want to stay and start companies in Atlanta. Heck, I think there are reasons that entrepreneurs should want to move to Atlanta from wherever and start companies.
So let’s not worry about trying to get Atlanta back to what it should have been or could have been or was. Let’s figure out how we build a vibrant community that reflects the way we all want things to be so that we can all build and finance great companies right here.