[spamizbad]

I can really only think of one good reason to pick another Midwest city over Chicago: tech culture. Many of these startups here in Chicago seem to lack strong technical co-founders.

A significant minority of startups in Chicago just feel like a grind to get an exit and as a developer you're basically given the minimal amount of resources and asked to work the maximum amount of time achieve that goal. All the while some dude (it's usually a dude) is breathing down your neck asking you why isn't their vaguely specified, poorly thought-out product done yet- "Shouldn't this just be a simple 'if' statement?" (An 'if' statement! Of course! Thanks for being my muse, boss.)

You see a lot of entrepreneurs here who come from big consulting groups that don't really "get" tech and barely even grasp startups. They're kinda like tourists - they know there's a ton of opportunity in the sector, they're willing to take the risk to capitalize on it, but there's no real passion for technology. If it all goes bust they'll just go back to their old job at Accenture or wherever and use their brief foray as an entrepreneur as a feather in their cap as they climb the corporate ladder.

The effect of all this is that it tends to drive more technically-minded entrepreneurs or more hardcore dedicated biz types to take their businesses outside the city to places like SF, Austin and NYC. It also prevents us from drawing in people from Wisconsin and Michigan. What we're left with are a bunch of suits trying to bro-it-up with a startup until they finally surrender the last of their adolescence and go back to working for someone else.

and...Whew, rant over. That's the only reason I can think of why you'd do something in Detroit instead of Chicago.

[eldavido]

Can you email me? I'm from Chicago but live in SF and might consider going back. Address in profile