There’s a pretty interesting interview in Fast Company with Josh Kopelman, managing partner at First Round Capital, about why one should go ahead and start up a new company in Philadelphia. Now, before we get to the various and sundry elephants in the room, let’s ponder what Kopelman has to say: There’s an inspiringly scrappy DIY environment. A fantastic community bonds many entrepreneurs here. And the abundance of schools nearby breeds entrepreneurs themselves. All in all, it’s a great pep talk. But we kind of wish Kopelman had addressed those elephants: Namely, how outright unkind the city is to businesses, whether your particular gripe is with the BPT, the wage tax or L&I. And then there’s also the issue of the brain drain — the kinds of minds entrepreneurs need to get their startups off the ground generally aren’t even living here by the time they’re 25. (Of course, that’s a chicken-or-the-egg issue, but still.) Nevertheless, we’re still picking up what Kopelman is putting down. Now, if only others would.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 10:59 am.