I am not sure where exactly I have been hearing it (OK, I remember a few places), but it seems like there has been an undercurrent lately (and for a long time) about how innovation is dead in Massachusetts. Something to the effect of how our brand is suffering, and how all of the interesting ideas and entrepreneurs go elsewhere. I have also been hearing about how investors are too conservative, and how people are afraid to swing for the fences instead of a base hit or a double.
I have ‘grown up’ professionally in Boston for the past 11 years hearing about all of the reasons why the odds are stacked against me, and about why I shouldn’t even bother trying. And it takes a toll on you. I have found myself thinking over the years about how I should be in the Valley, and how everything would be different. How people on the east coast just don’t get it—people are too conservative here.
Well, I think I am just about done making these excuses and talking myself out of going for it and following my dreams. There are ALWAYS going to be hurdles. And there will always be doubters. This is not region-specific; it is true anywhere you go. Maybe the attitudes ARE different on the two coasts. Maybe the investors DO put bigger dollars more easily behind the dreamers out there. You know what I am starting to realize? SO WHAT!
That doesn’t mean it can’t be done here in the east. It just means you have to look at where you are, and the pros/cons of that environment, and then play to your strengths. If there are less consumer internet companies in the east, yes, finding good talent is more difficult. But there are also fewer exciting companies you are competing with, so hiring that talent is not as competitive. And what if investors DO put bigger sums of money behind earlier stage ideas? Well, maybe the fiscal discipline that a dearth of capital forces on an early stage company is quite healthy. Maybe it toughens you up, so when the capital flows freely down the road, you will manage your spending more efficiently.
The grass is always greener, and it is easy to think we have a raw deal here in Massachusetts. I personally believe this is simply not the case. If we want to change our innovation brand, this IS NOT a marketing challenge—it’s an execution challenge. Let’s not worry about what other people think of us. Let’s just put our heads down and continue to do and build interesting things. We won’t have to worry about telling everyone. They will know. They will come. And so will the capital. As a naïve, ignorant first-time entrepreneur, I will put out there that capital follows dealflow, and not the other way around. And if it doesn’t, just go out and find another way to get it done. Isn’t that the definition of being an entrepreneur? Maybe it will make things tougher in the short-term, but ultimately, it will lead to the creation of a tougher, scrappier breed of entrepreneurs that will go on to build the next wave of truly disruptive companies.