Feld B. Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City

Wiley, 2012. — 202 p. — ISBN: 1118441540.An essential guide to building supportive entrepreneurial communities "Startup communities" are popping up everywhere, from cities like Boulder to Boston and even in countries such as Iceland. These types of entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation and small business energy. Startup Communities documents the buzz, strategy, long-term perspective, and dynamics of building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off of each other's talent, creativity, and support.
Based on more than twenty years of Boulder-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist Brad Feld's experience in the field?as well as contributions from other innovative startup communities?this reliable resource skillfully explores what it takes to create an entrepreneurial community in any city, at any time. Along the way, it offers valuable insights into increasing the breadth and depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by multiplying connections among entrepreneurs and mentors, improving access to entrepreneurial education, and much more.
Details the four critical principles needed to form a sustainable startup community Perfect for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists seeking fresh ideas and new opportunities Written by Brad Feld, a thought-leader in this field who has been an early-stage investor and successful intrepreneur for more than twenty years Engaging and informative, this practical guide not only shows you how startup communities work, but it also shows you how to make them work anywhere in the world.What is the "Startup Revolution"?
The vast majority of net new job creation in the last 30 years has come from new startups-specifically companies created during this time frame. As the global economy continues to struggle, entrepreneurs, through new startup companies, are leading the way in creating new innovations, new products and services, and new jobs. At the same time, they are rejuvenating the economies of many cities around the world as they create the basis for the next wave of economic growth. There is a startup revolution happening throughout the world-join in!Where are some of the hot startup communities building today?
As the small town of Boulder, Colorado has gained international prominence as a hotbed of startup activity, many other cities throughout the world are seeing great growth through the creation and development of new startups. Cities big and small, like New York, Boston, Chicago, Portland and Austin, as well as countries like Iceland are seeing their startup communities revitalize and re-energize their city.Is this book a blueprint for building startup communities?
The book defines the Boulder Thesis, drawn from my 17 years of being an entrepreneur and investor in the Boulder startup community, to create a framework for creating a vibrant, long-term startup community. We explore the Boulder Thesis in depth and give lots of examples of implementation, but overall recognize that one of the powerful things about every city in the world is that they have unique characteristics. The Boulder Thesis is a blueprint, but not a prescription, and is easily adopted to any city.What inspired you to create the "Startup Revolution" series?
I believe startups are transforming our society. Over the past 100 years, we've gone from an industrial era, where a hierarchical structure dominated business and society, to a post information era where the network is rapidly disrupting the hierarchy and transforming the way we work and live. The "Startup Revolution" series covers each aspect of the dynamics of this change, from Startup Communities, to Startup Life, to specific aspects of business with Startup Boards and Startup Metrics.Who should read this book?Anyone interested in entrepreneurship, startups, economic growth, and innovation.From the Inside Flap
"Startup communities" are popping up everywhere, from cities all over the United States like Boulder, Boston, New York, Seattle, and Omaha to countries like Iceland. These entrepreneurial ecosystems are driving innovation, new business creation, and job growth. Startup Communities documents the strategy, dynamics, tactics, and long-term perspective required for building communities of entrepreneurs who can feed off of each other's talent, creativity, and support. So if you think Silicon Valley is the only place to start your next venture, think again. These days, great business ideas can come from anywhere, and this book is the smart wake-up call you've been waiting for.Based on more than twenty years of Boulder-based entrepreneur-turned-venture-capitalist Brad Feld's experience, as well as contributions from entrepreneurs in Boulder and other innovative startup communities — this reliable resource skillfully explores what it takes to create a startup community in any city, at any time. With this book as your guide, you'll gain valuable insights into building a more vibrant startup community, as you discover how to increase the breadth and depth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by multiplying connections among entrepreneurs and mentors, improving access to entrepreneurial education, creating events and activities that activate all the participants in the startup community, and much more.Along the way, Feld details the critical principles for forming a sustainable startup community, and discusses the various tactics you need to put around them. You'll become familiar with the idea that in order for a community to grow both deep and wide — and to enhance its entrepreneurial density — entrepreneurs must lead the charge themselves. You'll also see how developing a long-term commitment to the startup community is the only way to realistically become a leader of it.Feld continues the conversation by discussing how an openness to include anyone who is interested in joining the startup community — from students, researchers, and professors to corporate employees, lawyers, government, and investors — is critical. He also reveals how there has to be activities and events in the startup community that engage everyone in it from top to bottom. So, whether it be accelerators, meetups, or startup weekends, you have to create things that involve everyone.You can have a sustainable startup community in virtually any city in the world. But you need to know what it takes to really make this happen — understanding everything from the problems that may arise to the power of the community. Engaging and informative, this practical guide not only shows you how startup communities work, it also shows you how you can make them work anywhere.Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures, a company that helped launch and operate software companies. Brad is also a co-founder of TechStars.Brad currently serves on the board of directors of BigDoor, Cheezburger, Fitbit, FullContact, Gnip, MakerBot, MobileDay, Modular Robotics, Oblong, Orbotix, SEOMoz, Standing Cloud, and Yesware for Foundry Group. Previously, Brad was an executive at AmeriData Technologies after it acquired Feld Technologies, a firm he founded in 1987 that specialized in custom software applications.In addition to his investing efforts, Brad has been active with several non-profit organizations and currently is chair of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, co-chair of Startup Colorado, and on the boards of Startup Weekend and the Application Developers Alliance. Brad is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship and writes the widely read blogs Feld Thoughts and Ask the VC.Notable companies that Brad has invested in and/or sat on the boards of include Abuzz (acq. NYT), Anyday.com (acq. PALM), Critical Path (CPTH), Cyanea (acq. IBM), Dante Group (acq. WEBM), DataPower (acq. IBM), FeedBurner (acq. by GOOG), Feld Group (acq. by EDS), Gist (acq. RIM), Harmonix (acq. VIA), NetGenesis (IPO), ServiceMagic (acq. IACI), ServiceMetrics (acq. EXDS), and Zynga (ZNGA).Brad holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brad is also an avid art collector and long-distance runner. He has completed 22 marathons as part of his mission to run a marathon in each of the 50 states.