This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jamerine: Adversity can drive a “Startup Nation”. http://blog.innovatearkansas.org/2010/01/14/techpreneurship-adversity-builds-a-start-up-nation/...

Thanks very much for the thoughtful contribution to the discussion. Your key point about needing solid strategy, determination, leadership and a bit of luck to drive the pieces together in a meaningful way is spot on.

I look forward to hearing from you in the future. Let’s figure out how to take some tangible steps to drive the kind of success Israel has seen right here in Arkansas.

Jeff

(And when we win the BCS national championship next year, Fayetteville/NWA will no longer be the well-kept secret that it remains, to a degree, today…)

I think Fayetteville, with the right implementation, has the ingredients to become a major hub for young professionals and startups– a la Austin, Portland, or Denver. I saw…

-Intellectual vitality: a big research university that’s on the rise; a place where smart young people/professionals want to be. The library is amazing–the fact that that much would be spent on a public library says a lot.

-Smart city dynamics: well planned city, innovative architecture, walkable downtown area. Fayetteville has a distinct architectural style–I’m guessing the same couple of firms design most of the buildings–and it is inventive, colorful (without being tacky), and makes great use of space. It was almost like a Colorado ski town in its style. I’ve had the displeasure of staying in another college town in the state–let’s just say it rhymes with Konway–and I was not so impressed: sprawly, unplanned, anywheresville, USA. Fayetteville has a distinct character.

-Financial backbone: Wal-mart/vendors sphere, Tyson, JB Hunt are just down the road. There are both direct and indirect benefits of being in these co.’s economic spheres; they bring professionals from out of state, and they funnel in revenue to the region.

-Intangibles – natural beauty: this is one those rare qualities of geographic circumstances that can give a city an edge as far as attraction. If you think about the “it” places where young professionals want to be (e.g., Portland, Denver, the Bay Area), they tend to be geographically arresting places. At the most sensual (physical) level, geographically interesting places provide opportunity to participate in the outdoors in variety of ways–which is an attractive trait for the active bodies of young professionals. Premium hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and kayaking opportunities abound within an hour or 2 of Fayetteville. This is pretty rare for any city–it’s especially rare for a city located in middle America. In fact, I’d say this particular area in the Arkansas is pretty much the only place in Middle America where you could find these outdoor opportunities.

Combine all these excellent traits–the rare geographic circumstances, the rare economic circumstances (i.e. the #1 company in the world is up the street and its mere gravity pulls in other industries), the foresight of the development of Fayetteville, the intellectual roots provided by a major University–and you have a very ripe place for startups/innovation.

But as with a person’s inherent ability, these “fundamental ingredients” don’t really mean anything if they are not strategically steered in the right direction. What differentiates a guy as smart as Bill Gates from THE Bill Gates is largely drive. When I say drive, I mean a person’s self-initiative, awareness, and tenacity to achieve goals. (Sure, there’s perhaps a modicum of luck involved; I’m exaggerating a bit to explain a point.) On a personal level, intelligence is merely a prerequisite for successful entrepreneurship; drive is what gets it done.

I think it works the same way for cities. Fayetteville has the right ingredients; the rest of the game is about assembling and arranging the pieces in a way that promotes innovation.