To illustrate why geographic ecosystems are important, I used to tell a story of three cities. It went something like this:

I founded my first startup in Edinburgh, Scotland. At the time, there was no startup ecosystem at all: there was no money, and no culture of support. Everyone told us, “it’ll never work; why don’t you go and get a real job?”

The second startup I joined was founded in Texas. There, it was possible to raise money, and everyone was super-enthusiastic. But there wasn’t a ton of local knowledge, and expectations from investors about involvement in an internet startup were not clear.

The third startup was founded in San Francisco. There, there was money, enthusiasm, and a ton of deep knowledge.

The story had a satisfying sort of Goldilocks and the Three Bears structure, but here’s the thing: while it may have been true back then, when I experienced those things, it simply isn’t today. It also misses some important nuance.

Let’s take them in turn:

Edinburgh now has a pretty decent, if small, startup ecosystem. There’s money, expertise, and a few success stories (FanDuel and Skyscanner are two). There was always a deep computer science community centered around the university, and they’ve done a good job building an entrepreneurial culture around it.

Austin, Texas is now considered a startup hub. It’s got a rich seam of investors and tech talent, and industry people are moving there in droves. (The company I joined over a decade ago, Latakoo, is doing well, too.)

And San Francisco’s startup story is well-documented, but the depth of expertise is a double edged sword: it has been less welcoming to startups that want to take an alternative funding route, or that sit outside of established patterns. Its success has led to a degree of conformity, unfortunately, and rapidly rising costs have made it inhospitable to the communities that defined its culture, including its anarchic hacker scene.

We’ve all become familiar with working remotely - something I’ve personally done for over ten years of my career - and as such, our geographic centers are decentralizing. Founders can find support and investment, as well as an experienced team, from anywhere. There’s no need to pay a premium or to go without needed expertise.

Today, if I were to tell that story, it would be far different. There’s no need to be in San Francisco or anywhere else. All that matters is how you execute on your idea.

I think about this when people talk about Miami as a blockchain hub, as they’ve been doing for a while. Yes, there will be some interesting events on the beach there if you’re into that space. But there’s no need to live there. You can be anywhere, and anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you something.

For me, the smart move is to find somewhere nice, with a diverse community of generally-progressive people, low property values, great food, and good transit links. Make your base there; put down roots. And then use this incredible global communications network we’ve all built - this “internet” thing is really worth checking out - to stay in touch and build communities with people all over the world.

San Francisco? Miami? Austin? Edinburgh? It doesn’t matter. Pick what makes sense for your lifestyle and values, and work from there.