[pdeuchler]

I agree with this comment as it applies to the general tech ecosystem here, but Sparkfun might actually be exempt from this because it is legitimately a very cool place to just be around... But that said yeah, it is very apparent that too many companies here are coasting on the general area's appeal. We're just starting to hit the point where that won't cut it anymore, and I think a lot of companies that have gotten by on quality talent at cut rate prices due to the lack of competition and the inherent desirability of the area are in for a serious rude awakening.

Salaries are already starting to rapidly increase (more than they already were) in Boulder just with the announcement of companies like Google moving large offices here and it's been very disconcerting to see companies resort to the same tactics used by Bay Area companies to circumvent paying people (company commuter busses so you can live in more affordable areas, $500 ski passes instead of $5k raises, free food, etc etc). This area can't really even bank on the usual scam of promising big exists since those are much more rare in these parts. Watching the economics of the whole situation has been very interesting, especially when you see that they're only going to make many of the social problems we're dealing with much much worse.