I was talking with toonerstan and I wondered whether we could take the discussion about Philly and the new technology in a slightly different direction.   One way to understand how and why Silicon Valley and Route 128 in Boston etc succeed is to examine the startup as a business model: what they are, how they succeed […]

This is a highly-digged essay from about about a year ago by Paul Graham, the Y-Combinator guy in Boston. He discusses what makes a city hospitable or inhospitable as a place for launching tech startups. It contains some Philly-bashing, so be prepared. I showed it to Lisa last year, and recently heard it mentioned again […]

I just read Geoff’s post and it inspired me to write a bit on the same topic, and introduce a few other groups, or sources of “seeds” if you will. Over the last two years I have noticed a tremendous upswing in the amount of individuals interested in attending local user group meetings, professional groups […]

It is all about things coming together at the right time. I think that is happening. Can’t explain why… but I can tell you I am enjoying it. For the longest time, I have followed the Philadelphia interactive/new media/web/social media scene, but was never excited about it. Of course, I was busy teaching at UArts, […]

Most of my experience in the Philadelphia area has felt very historical. Its streets, buildings, and people have always felt like a page taken out of the past when the forefathers of the United States sat and discussed its future or when a boxer from the city wanted to make a name for himself. Both […]