A few days ago I had a chance to catch up with an old friend with whom I first met back in 2006 when he had his (then) startup. We had a great conversation this week. Four years later he’s working for a big company and looking for his next new job. He would really like to work for a startup again, but even more he’s looking for a job that he enjoys. A lot happens in four years. Since then I have seen hundreds of millions of dollars go into DC startups, dozens of startups go belly up, about a dozen of DC’s smartest startup guys move to the bay area, and about a dozen of DC’s smartest consultants move to New York and Austin. I haven’t quite figured out the draw of Austin yet, but for New York it is a clear one; the money is tempting (if you ignore the cost of living adjustments you will have to make). During the same period at least two dozen new super smart people have moved to DC. Others, here, there, and everywhere in between are plotting their moves too. This “musical chairs” effect isn’t all that different from what happened after the .com bubble in the early 2000’s. Back then people made their moves as markets settled down.
The point is that people change and so does the community. Hence the title: Community 2.010!
A handful of people moving in and out of the community can have a very profound impact. I am looking forward to the fresh batch of startup founders, consultants, event organizers, and contributors that are arriving daily or who are stepping off the sidelines. 2010 is already shaping up to be the best year for the DC Startup Community ever.
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