The Startup City You Probably Haven't Heard About

According to Brad Feld, the Boulder-based startup guru, breathing life into the startup ecosystem takes vision and long-term commitment from local entrepreneurs, support from a variety of community institutions, and a culture of collaboration. Feld is quick to draw a distinction between what he calls the Leaders and the Feeders. In his bestseller Startup Communities, Feld writes, “the leaders of a startup community must be the entrepreneurs.” Loosely organized with a hierarchy that’s more horizontal than vertical, a community’s entrepreneurs must piece together an environment that inspires creation, encourages risk taking, and supports experiential learning.

Understanding the importance of the fabled entrepreneur, Lucas Lindsey set out to get to know three locals engaged in startup activity, to ask questions, and ultimately to try and figure out why it is that they do what they do, what it will take to make it happen in Tallahassee, and how that matters for other cities engaged in startup activity.