San Diego?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=124688

by Prrometheus • 18 years ago

15 27 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

What do you all think of San Diego as a location for a startup? I just got into grad school there (I'm waiting on Stanford, but that's a long shot). I know it's far from Silicon Valley.

Are there any VCs there? Any cofounders? Other startups? Would it be too much of a PITA to fly to the Valley all the time for living in San Diego to be worth it?

edw5192• 18 years ago

I'd be more concerned about the beautiful weather than the start-up environment.

Will it energize you or distract you? 95% of your time will be heads down hacking no matter where you live.

When I lived in Southern California, it energized me. Wrote some of my best code with the windows open and the ocean breeze blowing through. Will it be the same for you?

paulsb2• 18 years ago

There is a very large biotech scene in San Diego, so I imagine there will plenty of VC's. Not sure about the computer tech scene, though.

caudicus• 18 years ago

Biotech/computer startups! We can't all be doing social networks and aggregators ;)

Just think about coding looking unto the beach with a cup of tea. Living the dream.

falsestprophet• 18 years ago

Are you working on a computational biotech startup? Do you know of any examples. I have only found a few that I am interested in, but they are out of Montreal and Budapest.

ilamont• 18 years ago

Sounds like an opportunity to me. These VCs may be looking to diversify.

Frocer• 18 years ago

I have heard there's a fair VC/Entrepreneurial presence in San Diego, for instance, Slacker.com is based there.

But as someone pointed out, I would be more concern about the beautiful beaches and weather. Lots of distraction certainly :)

Prrometheus2• 18 years ago

Oh no! Not beautiful weather and beaches! Next you’ll be telling me there’s gorgeous women and a short drive to Mexico!

henning2• 18 years ago

san diego really sucks if you don't have a car.

most of the startup stuff is biotech.

doubleplus2• 18 years ago

san diego really sucks anyway. and that's coming from a native. :)

kirubakaran• 18 years ago

I heard you guys have the best weather... no?

pfedor• 18 years ago

san diego really sucks if you don't have a car.

As opposed to the Silicon Valley??

jey• 18 years ago

I'm a San Diego expat who now lives in San Francisco without a car. I love it. I just wish we had SD weather here...

st3fan• 18 years ago

"I know it's far from Silicon Valley." - As if all good things happen in SV.

Prrometheus2• 18 years ago

What I want to know is would I be shooting myself in the foot by trying a startup in San Diego?

edw5192• 18 years ago

No! What goes on inside your head is infinitely more important than what goes on inside your neighborhood.

catfish• 18 years ago

Having lived here for 30 years here is my two cents.

San Diego is not a startup town. To expensive, not enough talent, and everyone good longs to head north. I love this place and have had marginal success working here, but the politics here, and the folks that have money who drive it, are to conservative. You would be happier in the valley in terms of surrounding yourself with like minded thinkers.

Nuff said...

noelchurchill• 18 years ago

Who else is located here in San Diego?? I love it here, but I don't feel like I'm surrounded by many other people who have the same interest in web startups. So in that sense it's not very motivating for me. But the weather is great, the beaches are nice, and the ladies tend to be more attractive ;-)

food792• 18 years ago

There are startups, just not as many web ones. If you want biotech or wireless then you are in business though.

johnnyice213• 18 years ago

Resources and lots of like minded people. That is what you'd be missing if you skipped SV and headed to San Diego. I'm an entrepreneur myself and moved to San Diego (from NY) almost 2 years ago.

I was working on a startup coming out here and the beach and weather did not help me focus (but other distractions including living with my college friends directly ON the beach).

That aside you can find like minded people, but it is much MUCH MUCH harder. I've joined a couple startup groups on meetup.com and actually that is how my current partner and I met. But I haven't been to any meetups since.

Personally, the weather is beautiful and does give me inspiration, but I wouldn't sacrifice all the resources that you would get in SV.

... one pro to San Diego aside from the weather might be if you do have a somewhat successful startup here you may get more attention since there are so few. Take Goowy (http://news.yahoo.com/s/sddt/20080208/lo_sddt/aolacquiressan...) for example.

Hope that helps!

John

kyro• 18 years ago

Prrometheus, what's your email address?

I used to live in SD, but transferred to Orange County. I'd really like to chat and get together with news.yc'ers in southern California, the few that seem to be out there.

delackner• 18 years ago

Do not pick San Diego. I have lived in the valley and in San Diego, and it is a cultural wasteland that will drive all your best potential hires away to other parts of the world. It sure drove me away, to Tokyo.

San Diego?

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