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Comment by byoung2 | Hacker News Reader

Moving to Silicon Valley definitely gets you closer to a pool of tech startup minded people and the venture capitalists that feed them in the same way that moving to Los Angeles helps you start your acting career. But I'm sure that there are quite a few wannabes up north who never moved beyond the dreaming phase, just like there are quite a few waiters here in Los Angeles waiting for their big break.

A tech startup anywhere needs smart founders and lots of determination. You need more than just a zip code to make it in the startup world. I think the location only helps if the other pieces are already in place before you make the move.

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That's a great analogy. If I had a nickel for every goof with a "hot startup idea" in the valley, I'd be richer than most of the people who have hot startups.

I've never lived in LA, but living in San Francisco feels like the technology version of every hard-luck-actor tale I've read of Hollywood. It's so easy to run across the modern equivalent of a waiter with a script (a hacker with a business plan), that it's actually disconcerting to go to valley conferences or social events. You're usually bombarded by so many people who want something -- funding, partners, customers, external validation -- that you tend to shut them all out.

Yeah, I've seen that phenomena too - there are an awful lot of people that think moving to Silicon Valley will magically make their startup successful, instead of it just being one of the first steps in a long, long journey.

The nice thing about SV is that there are folks here that actually work on tough technical problems and have the skill to match - Googlers, Yahooglers, Microsofties, researchers at Stanford and Berkeley, etc. Not to mention all the repeat entrepreneurs who have money to invest and are looking for their second big idea. It can sometimes be hard to convince these people to found a startup (well, hard to convince the tech company employees...the repeat entrepreneurs will jump on anything with a reasonable chance of success), but there's talent here.

I've lived in LA all my life, and I've seen more than my fair share of aspiring actors. I'm sure that their chances of making it big are better here than they are in Kansas, but not by much if all you have going for you is the fact that you live in LA. I'm sure the same rules apply for country singers in Nashville, or dancers in New York. It might actually benefit startup founders to stay out of an environment like the one you described!

I'm sure that their chances of making it big are better here than they are in Kansas, but not by much if all you have going for you is the fact that you live in LA.

Adding to that: if the only difference between your success and failure is your location - your probability of success to begin with is probably slim. Success is a mindset, not a zip code.

But what if you're a very talented actor? I'd be surprised if, in that case, LA and NY don't provide a significant incremental advantage.

It is important to be around people who want badly to succeed, not people who have dreams but no work ethic. There are more of the latter than the former, in both startups AND acting.

Also keep in mind that actors move to LA because there is WORK in LA, not because there are other actors! To get acting gigs, zip code DOES matter :)

You're absolutely right, being in silicon valley does not, by itself, equal success. There are other factors that are far more important and there is no silver bullet. That's why there are tons of examples of great startups all over the world, including ones based right in my hometown.

So, if you personally have no desire to move here and are happy with your startup right where it is, then you should stay where you are.

All that being said, if deep down you've got the feeling that the valley might be the place for you, you see that you're not moving forward on your startup as fast as you'd like, or you haven't yet found the right people to work with, then it's a move I highly recommend.

I guess it just depends on which circle or places you usually hang around with. Either you're in LA, NY, Montreal, or elsewhere; you can still run a sustainable startup with the right timing and resources.

Still, I'd rather stay in Silicon Valley for a number of reasons:

1) High concentration & influx of venture capitalists, startup founders, incubators and advisors 2) Sun 3) Sun

Don't get me wrong, places like New York are going strong true. Foursquare, Vimeo... and where do I get my morning coffee? Fred Wilson's AVC.com blog. I moved back to SV from DC because I'm used to the peninsula and I really know this is where I want to be if I run a startup. But it is actually up to you if you want to run it in New York, Montreal, London, or Berlin. Timing can be everything sometimes.

Women? Yeah, New York has plenty. But after reading Neil Strauss's "The Game", I think you can create an opportunity of meeting the right girl for you out of every setting. (Disclaimer: I don't go to night clubs often these days. I go to Club Startup)

Try Boulder. Startup scene. Major university. Lots of sun like SV. But... from what I can tell, lots more women.

Yeap. TechStars, then snowboarding bliss.

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