Opinion: “I’d rather build in Columbus”
Web Smith, co-founder and CEO of Whence, knows whats its like to be in a startup city. Cities like Boston, New York, and Austin are the “it” spots for entrepreneurs to create successful businesses in an almost “no strings-attached” creative atmosphere. And while Smith knows from first-hand experience what that’s like (his first startup was based in Austin, TX), he has discovered something unique in Ohio: its loyalty.
Smith says, “If you have the privilege of launching a startup in places like Columbus or Cincinnati, you aren’t necessarily building for what the city can do for you. Rather, you build for what you can do for the city. I’d venture so far as to say that there is a desire to do well for the city, not just in the city.”
Smith goes on to talk about how Columbus boasts a resourcefulness that he sees as driving entrepreneurs, despite a time when bigwigs are saying that businesses are down and facing tougher success rates. He believes that while the rest of the country is chugging forward, startups in Columbus, “will continue to build as though the only way to win is by doing it the scrappy, Midwestern way.”
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