Do you want to live in Detroit? Moving to Stockton would be a more inspired choice. Close enough to the valley for the money folks, but generating some positive economic activity in a community that could benefit. Also substantial lower costs which benefits founders.
Detroit has access to a lot of tech talent through the local universities (UM, Mich Tech, MSU, Kettering, etc) with no competition for the talent. This leads to great employees who can be compensated for much less than Bay Area and you have great retention rates.
Detroit has terrible weather and worse infrastructure. I grew up there and going back for even a few days is incredibly annoying compared to even a tier-two city like LV or Philadelphia, which at least have things going for them.
Detroit only makes sense if you like drinking or sports; there is nothing else to do there.
At least the weather would be better, no? I’m in Chicago and had to bear the brunt of that ridiculous polar vortex at -29F. I’m sure Detroit had to as well.
VC business is all about connections. Connections in SF area are hard to beat. I am however surprised that SF is the new center of startups. I dread entering that shitpile of a city.
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[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 51.8 ms ] thread(Not that it's a realistic suggestion for Y Combinator to move there).
Given that a key objective was to be closer to their contacts, Detroit would make little sense.
Detroit only makes sense if you like drinking or sports; there is nothing else to do there.
To be able to keep a pulse and their finger on some of the longest tails in the marketplace (sentiment here), without that being obvious.
To a much more extreme extent, the people behind moderation on reddit.