(photo from Nick Mehl Architecture)
Reflections on Jellying in Austin yesterday… My instinct is to echo what Bandit said yesterday in his Biz Hacker piece, where he suggests that, like Mary, There’s Something About Austin (too).
There has been, and continues to be, a distinct style or signature to the way businesses develop in Austin. The culture of the city conditions the culture of (some of) its companies, and in this there is something worth commenting on. And championing, I’d say.
Historically, this has clearly been the case. Think Whole Foods, GSD&M, Dell, Austin City Limits, IC2 Institute, San Jose Hotel, Antone’s, Nick Mehl Architects, etc. Different types of businesses and institutions, to be sure, but there is something distinctly Austin about each of them.
Today, as a new generation of entrepreneurs and businesses takes shape in Austin, like Conjunctured and Launchpad Coworking among many others, Austin’s cultural-historical milieu becomes a part of these firms as well.
A Creative Class is a Productive Class
In his book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida suggests that (according to the criteria that he sets forth in his book) Austin is the most creative city in the US. Florida’s model holds that creativity- in music, theatre, art, design, lifestyle expression,etc- is a marker of entrepreneurial dynamism. That is, the more artists and thespians a city has, the better that city will be at starting and growing new businesses. Turns out you can have your cake and eat it too! Just don’t tell too many people, ’cause the city will get even more crowded and more expensive.
For those familiar with Austin, it is no surprise that it is at the top of the list.
Square Austin ain’t…Entrepreneurial it is!
The Butcher
You’ve been visiting coworking sites all over, right?
I can’t decide if I’m surprised at this description or not…
On one hand, I think “well, yeah, duh… that’s why we’re all here.”
On the other hand, I think Texans (I’m an Austinite, not a Texan, btw) can be very proprietary, so of course there’s lots of “we’re the best” sentiment.
On the other other hand over 100 people PER DAY move to Austin, so clearly we’ve got something going here.
Thankfully, we have a mayor who’s into smart growth. We’re finally getting a commuter rail, and urban light rail is on its way. Downtown is rapidly coming back to life, and there seems to be renewed interest by the general population in maintaining our unique flavor.
I moved here from Madison in 1985. It took a long time for Austin to feel like home. It’s definitely home now, though, and I’m glad to hear you’re able to grok so much of the goodness that’s here :)
Clearly there are cliques in Austin, as there are in most places (especially places in the South). But there has always been just enough Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kinky Friedman, Willie, Asleep at the Wheel…in the water to create a space for the creative. When you drive around in the Hill Country you can still find refugees from 1970s Austin. They’re waiting for the Armadillo World Headquarters to make a comeback…So am I, I guess that’s where my bias really is-
I’ll welcome people with open arms into Austin as long as they 1) love this town as much as I have for the past 7 years and 2) don’t try to make it into a place it’s not. I wake up every morning and see this place change before my eyes; I can’t tell you how exciting it is to be a part of that.
The thing about Austin is, it’s one of few cities where the citizens sit around and talk about how much they love living in Austin! :)
I hope the influx of people moving to Austin are doing so because they love the city. I can’t stand it when people complain about Austin and talk about moving. Move already!
PS. I