Heartland Tech Weekly: What the rise of remote work means for second-tier startup hubs
The article in question was a feature on InVision, a seven-year-old software company whose 700 employees all work remotely. The Bay Area investors, entrepreneurs, and tech workers I follow always seem eager to discuss articles involving remote working
Initialized Capital cofounder Garry Tan tweeted, “Prediction: Coupled with the SF Bay Area housing crisis, most startups in the next 5 years will establish remote work as a core part of their product/engineering process.” It’s not the first time I’ve seen this prediction.
I have a few thoughts on this: one, I’m all for remote work (I’m a remote worker myself!). But what I’d like to see — rather than more companies being started in the Bay Area embracing remote work — is more companies being started outside of the Bay Area.
But, I do think in this era of more distributed teams, Heartland companies will have an advantage as many of them are already used to having to embrace a distributed team. Many of the early-stage companies I talk to already keep a few staffers in the epicenters of San Francisco and New York. I feel that Heartland companies have to figure out how to run a successful distributed team earlier on than some other coastal companies.
One question I do, have though is what can cities be doing better to make themselves attractive to remote workers? I’m not sure what can be done beyond marketing your city as an attractive place to live, and one that has a vibrant business community with a lot of career opportunities. But I think there’s more to be said about this.
Featured Video
Check out this video from Powderkeg, “A guided tour of tech startup resources in Boulder and Denver”
From the Heartland Tech channel
Above: An Amazon Prime van during a press conference announcing Amazon.com’s new program to help entrepreneurs build businesses delivering Amazon packages
Image Credit: REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson
Amazon is raising its minimum wage in the U.S. to $15 per hour
Amazon is known the world over for its cheap and convenient online shopping emporium, but the company has faced growing criticism for the working conditions at its various hubs and fulfillment centers. Today, the ecommerce giant responded to those criticisms by raising its minimum wage for all U.S. employees to $15 per hour. This applies […]
Above: Senior medical check up with focus on eyes examination
Idx raises $33 million for AI diagnostic systems that detect eye disease and other conditions
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key tool in just about every industry, from marketing to recruitment and beyond. But one particularly powerful application for AI is in health care, where we’re already seeing early signs of its potential. Iowa-based Idx is one startup using AI to detect early signs of specific medical conditions. Its […]
Beyond VB
Project44 raises $45 million from new, existing investors
The Chicago-based tech firm is part of a wave of investment rushing into logistics-technology companies, as Amazon has raised the stakes for retailers and b-to-b suppliers with expectations of ever-faster delivery times. (via Chicago Crain’s)
The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods
Does the neighborhood you grow up in determine how far you move up the economic ladder? A new online data tool being made public Monday finds a strong correlation between where people are raised and their chances of achieving the American dream. (via NPR)
The Top 10 Rising Cities For Startups
Tony Franco and his two fellow founders of SafeChain Financial joined together through a local venture accelerator in 2016. They each made career bets on blockchain technology and went in search of funding last year. (via Forbes)
Opendoor’s Mega-Funding Round From SoftBank Means More Expansion For Atlanta Office
Real estate startup Opendoor made headlines once again this past week with news of a substantial funding round $400 million from the SoftBank Vision mega-fund, bringing its venture capital funding raised to over $1 billion.
Source: VentureBeat
To Read Our Daily News Updates, Please visit Inventiva or Subscribe Our Newsletter & Push.
