Just like our food choices are said to reflect our values (remember how your mom always told you, ‘you are what you eat’?), the measures we use to define our startup ecosystem’s successes or failures reflects our region’s collective values and goals.
For example, if all we report on is venture capital raised by our startups, then it can be assumed that funding is our primary yardstick for success.
But after observing and interacting with entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts throughout the Triangle this year, I believe funding, while important, is just one of many things our region values and might even rank lower on the list of measures to track than we might think.
In 2014 alone, I have seen our community rally around the issue of a lack of diversity in the startup community and attempt to reverse the trend through initiatives like SOAR and Triangle Startup Weekend: Women. I saw local startups and entrepreneurs work to solve real-world problems, while their peers in others states started their business to earn a quick dollar or to create vanity projects.
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I saw organizations collaborate to establish programs like The Iron Yard and Tech Talent South code schools to give those without tech skills the chance to learn them. I observed established, successful companies like Citrix and Red Hat support fledgling startups through accelerator programs, dollars and mentorship. And as gasps were heard throughout the Triangle when some of our most established companies in our region issued substantial layoffs, I smiled as I watched a startup hub welcome laid-off employees into their space to start something new.
With all these observations in mind, it’s clear the Triangle is not the “next” Silicon Valley. We’re something different and unique, and we have the opportunity to be a leader in areas that the Valley is not—like building a diverse startup ecosystem. Our story is different than other regions. It is one of grit, determination, revitalization, passion, community, and the honoring of our past while shaping our future. It’s a beautiful story, with many parts yet to be written.
And yet, are our reports and data telling the Triangle’s real story? Can people outside of our region get a true glimpse of what it is like to be an entrepreneur in Raleigh, Durham or Chapel Hill without visiting or living here?
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ExitEvent is a news partner of WRAL TechWire.
