[oldgregg]

Middle America: Even people who "support" you kind of pat you on the head "oh that's nice" because they don't really get it.

Get Lucky: You might find a friend or two, and that's all you need to stay motivated, but don't anything beyond that.

The Wasteland: I lived in Nashville for far too long. People just don't give a damn about ideas. They don't even think about ideas. They just want to make some money and hang out. They don't value work and ideas for their own sake, but only in terms of the financial benefits they bring. That is what slayed me. Not having people with any kind of vision.

Get out: I would be curious which city you came from before Indy? If you haven't spent a couple months in sf/seattle/austin/boston/nyc, give it a shot, you'll never want to go back.

[tdavis]

Middle America: Even people who "support" you kind of pat you on the head "oh that's nice" because they don't really get it.

Even my parents reacted like this. For a while my Dad thought it was little more than a pipe dream. I'm sure he secretly thought "What the hell is this boy doing? He gets back from Afghanistan, decides not to finish college, and instead moves out to Boston for some Internet... thing? WHERE DID I GO WRONG?!?!" ;)

He now understands things better and though my parents still don't really understand the entire idea of a "web business" and "venture capitalists" (which obviously aren't a web-only thing, but they are from Ohio after all...) and all that rot, they are now more realistic about it and "get" why I did this... why I had to, even.

The 13 hour stretch from Cincinnati to Boston was easily one of the best days of my life. Shedding the shackles of mid-western suburbia to embark on an adventure, having no idea how or when it would end or where it would take me. I'd never felt so... free. Where I came from exhibits quite the contrast; a society content to live firmly within the lines of what is considered proper, reasonable and safe.

[jaxn]

Maybe you left Nashville a little too soon.

Right now we have a really solid community and it is growing all the time. There are quite a few startups here. We had Startup Weekend with 80 or so people a few weeks ago. Two weeks ago we had a BarCamp that had 500 attendees.

Granted, quantity is not the same as quality, but I think we have lots of talent here.

Now, most of the early stage capital that is available in Nashville is limited to health care technology. That is a problem (bootstrapping is great, but it takes all kinds).

If I was going to leave Nashville, I don't think I would go to the Bay Area. I have a nice house with a yard in a good school district that cost me well under $300k. The overall quality of life here is great, and really, isn't quality of life what it is really all about?

So what non-coast areas are strong for startups?

Denver Chicago Austin Atlanta North Carolina (research triangle)

Where else? Tallahassee?

[jreilly]

My entire life before college was spent in a suburb of Boston. I loved it but wanted to try something new for a year to get some basis for comparison. Frankly, I didn't know how much I liked it until I left. I am sure at some point I will be heading back to stay.