Boulder, I’m Lookin’ And I’m Likin’

Anyone I’ve talked to lately knows I’ve been rather obsessed with the Boulder (Colorado) tech scene, even revamping my REI-chic/enviro-hipster garb for the occasion. I voraciously started subscribing to the blogs and Twitter feeds of various tech enthusiasts like Andrew Hyde, a driving force behind rad initiatives like Startup Weekend and Techstars.org, Robert Reich who founded OneRiot, Micah Baldwin who runs business development for Lijit Networks and has a sweet blog and of course there’s Brad Feld, who planted the seeds that started it all. I even watched their live broadcast of Ignite Boulder 3 this last week. Yeah, I really did.

What is it about the Boulder scene that makes me yearn so to be a part of it? My curiosity-turned-fascination-turned-safe-distance (I swear)-obsession was probably fueled by the fact that I can’t be part of it. My location prevents it and they just don’t seem interested in pursuing me as a remote member of their clan, though, granted, no overt outreach was established from my end. Following them on Twitter started out cool because I got a window into their mountainous world, but turned into a curse when they never seemed to want to reach (or follow) back. OK, no big deal. The initial pain of rejection led me to conduct an investigation on the essence of Boulder’s “cool”. Furthermore, I wanted to bring to light why we should all pay attention to Boulder now because – and even Sarah Lacy was astonished by this – Boulder won’t tell us why it’s so rad.

Let’s take a quick look at Boulder itself – not the tech scene – just Boulder.

- College town – Colorado University’s there.
- We know that there are a lot of bikes in Boulder
- There’s natural beauty like you wouldn’t believe
- Apparently the US Curling Olympic trials are there this year, being held this week, I’ve been told

Now let’s think Tech:

- Startup Town
- The afore-mentioned forward thinkers
- The sweet green tech innovations happening there
- In Boulder, you can be a geek AND athletic
- Most of their tech events are beer-centric vs. cocktails– SO cool
- They are geographically flanked by the Rockies on one side and the Mississippi on the other, trapped from the two traditional coastal sources of technological progress and yet they continue to generate technology and media innovation at an astounding and intriguing rate.

But Silicon Valley’s got plenty of mojo, right? Developers and entrepreneurs flock to the Bay Area because they have the next big thing that’s going to take “it” to the next level, going to change the world! So what differentiates Boulder? Here it is: COMMUNITY. There is an electric current that runs through Boulder that is powered by the intense support system that can only exist in a tight-knit community. That’s what TechStars.org IS. It’s for the mentoring and guiding (and funding) of sweet startups. I don’t know how you couldn’t succeed with that kind of backing.

Community must play a huge role in the success and acceleration of the startups and even the stewing of brilliant ideas among the mountains of Colorado. Looking through their blogs, seeing their Twitter activity, even being friends with just one of them on Facebook (and happening to peruse their profile with envy on a weekly basis), you understand the respect and friendship that is the lifeblood of the innovation, creativity and savvy that flows in that town. It’s really palpable if you watch some of the videos of their tech events– I mean, they have inside jokes! Yes, I may have spent an afternoon watching videos of Boulder tech meetups. Not a big deal.

Commradery, though, brings up another factor (and huge asset0 lending to their tight-knit environment: They’re still a small city. The Bay Area could never attain that level of intimacy. People come to The Bay Area to build great businesses that they can ultimately sell to go live in Boulder or, if it comes to it, run from Boulder (or somewhere of the like, you get it). People in Boulder love Boulder and never want to leave Boulder.

As a native Oregonian, my obsession with Boulder’s tech scene might be misplaced (sorry, Portland), but I can’t help feeling a little jealous of this embracing socio-professional (petty sure it’s a real term) environment. It’s not even the technology that really gets to me. It’s the people who make up this community – bloggers, entrepreneurs, copywriters, software engineers, consultants, and developers – that love what they do and want to see each other succeed.

Tell me where that community/clique/coven (?) is in the Bay Area and I’m there. Until then, I’m waiting on the edge of my seat for the next installment of “Where the Fun’s At“.

UPDATE (1/24/09): Joining Fox News in an effort to be “fair and balanced,” I wanted to highlight a response post by Brian Burns, a Boulder resident and copy writer: “Boulder Is Nice. Not Paradise”. A great read, and brings some local insight to the subject.

Posted by Megan Soto on February 23rd, 2009 | PermalinkView Comments | Email this article

 
  • Very Good !
    Thanks ...

    This post very Helped me
  • paul Frano
    I work up in boulder and its fair to say that its a little bubble up here. When you move here you stay and dont leave to go anywhere else.
  • It is a wonderful place. But it is not easy to simply move there before lining up a career. I manage a LinkedIn group called Boulder Net and I recently conducted a poll of LinkedIn professionals in and around Boulder on their employment status. I found a high (25%) unemployment rate and about 50% expressing interest in switching jobs. Just a thought.
    The survey results are here:
    http://bouldernet.blogspot.com/2009/01/boulder-metro-employment-status-poll.html

    -Rags
  • Thanks for the great post. You are spot on, Boulder is all about community and good people. Come visit anytime, and if you do, make sure we all know about it so we can show you the "magic" first hand. I help write for www.boulder.me, would you like to guest blog this piece on the site? If so, please let me know. We hope to see you soon!
  • Nice post. I'm not sure I agree with Dave (first comment). As a relative newcomer to the tech scene (not Boulder, itself), I've found people to be very open, welcoming, and interested in helping each other out - whether or not they follow me back on Twitter.

    It's a great town, for sure, but community is what makes it special.
  • Arthur Nisnevich
    Very cool post. Now when my friends ask me why I'm so anxious to flee the Midwest for Boulder, I can resound some of your sentiments in my answer.

    I think you hit it right on the head with "comradery." I suppose you'd get the sense of belonging to the "greater good" in any true community, but (as an outsider looking in) it seems to permeate deeper in Boulder, as if they're saying, "Well we're all a part of something bigger... so we might as well help eachother." I definitely get that sense of friendliness and welcoming every time I travel there, whether it's to rock climb or to work.

    I don't know if that comes from being a relatively small town, but I imagine it also comes from the mountains... how could you truly lose yourself in yourself when you can feel the grandness of the Rockies over your shoulder?

    Then again, maybe it's all the thin air and beer. :)
  • Hey Megan,

    You put some really great passion into that post, its posts like that which make me want to pack my bags and come to Boulder tomorrow, I am very passionate about starting my own company and yearn to get involved with great initiatives such as Techstars which I am really considering applying for next year, with commitments such as college it is a tough decision to make.

    I would much rather thrive and excel in my learning about the world of business through real life, honest accounts of being an entrepreneuer then being stuck in some dingy classrom with teachers who have absolutely no experience of running a business, and if they do cannot transpose their thinking to the changes around them. It is something you seem to find plenty of in Boulder, and I can't wait until the day I could call Boulder my home :)

    Thanks once again for the great post
  • Yep... Boulder is pretty cool.

    The mountains are amazing, the tech scene is hot, and the general culture is unbeatable. It's the curling, though, that puts us over the top.

    GAME OVER!
  • Don't feel so left out. I have lived in Boulder since '89 - and I am part of the tech scene. I've held management roles in tech companies, and taught tech courses at CU, and own/operate my own locally focused tech company. None of the people you mentioned will return my follows on Twitter either. Boulder has a tendency to be a bit clicky - and that group is no exception. I watched the Ignite feed too and was struck at how informal it was - it seemed everyone knew each other, like a club.

    Boulder is a great town and has lots of offer, but don't think being here will make it more accessible.

    There is actually a lot more similarities between Boulder and Eugene than Boulder and Portland. Boulder is great, I love it here. If you intend to come out for a visit, let me know.
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