Going west, as a (not so young) young man
Fellow Nebraskan Ev has a good post on his experience leaving Nebraska for the Bay Area tech world, and chimes in on the need to be in the Valley to be in tech.
“By staying in Nebraska, I relegated myself to spectator, even though I was trying to be a participant.” As someone who left Nebraska two years ago to further a career in the tech world, this quote rings true for me. I really admire the companies like 37Signals who have made a great business while shunning the Valley. There are plenty of other small web design and web dev shops, too. So, it can be done outside the Valley/Bay Area, but I think for folks in Nebraska, the quote is still very true.
I don’t think it HAS to be that way, but some things need to change in order for smaller towns like Lincoln to stop the brain drain.
I spent several years trying to find a place or make opportunities for myself in Lincoln. I wrote a few business plans. I burned too much time with people who were great at making promises, and even better at failing to deliver. I was ready to throw myself into creating my own business several times, but Lincoln seems to lack the support, investors, mentors that an entrepreneur needs.
Outside of running my own business, the opportunities are slim. An ad agency or two here and there. State or University gigs. As someone with 12 years experience in web design/development, the movement available was all horizontal. Not much opportunity to grow or be challenged.
Not knocking on my great hometown, by any means. I really wish it didn’t appear to be the case.
I didn’t know Ev was trying to start an internet business in Lincoln back in 95-97. I’m surprised our paths didn’t cross back then.
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