A participant in the DetroitYES! community forum whose screen name is Michimoby says he is leaving Detroit because the local start-up scene is not what it is said to be. He writes:
I've been spending a good 8-10 months attempting to transition from a Detroit-based consulting role to working with a technology startup -- after all, guys like Josh Linkner and Dan Gilbert are promoting this "Detroit 2.0" pitch like this is going to be the next place to launch a startup.
And from the outside, it makes a lot of sense: low cost of living, fairly abundant technology talent, resilience, and focus -- these are all core aspects of a living, breathing ecosystem like Silicon Valley.
But after months and months of trying, I can no longer ignore the dozens of weekly emails I'm getting from startups in New York, Chicago, and Boulder, all offering different options to get me embedded into the entrepreneurial community in those cities. I tried to temper the flow, really: I wanted my idealism and gung-ho Detroit cheerleading to win out at the end of the day, because I moved to Detroit to apply my skills in a tangible and effective way.
But I'm getting the cold shoulder, and it's certainly not due to a lack of effort: I just don't know if Detroit has a damn clue what to do with people like me.
