Thanks to the financial sector’s instability and the growth of the startup scene, young engineers are increasingly turning to new companies. “Would you rather say you were one of 10 engineers working on the Foursquare application or one of 50 developers working at some sort of Goldman Sachs trading department?” asked Warren Lee an investor at Canaan Partners. “Working at a hot startup company is good experience and just more interesting.”
David Albert and Nick Bergson-Shilcock, founders of HireHive, a website for employers and jobseekers, agree with Mr. Lee’s assessment. Currently the two Columbia University graduates are at the Mountain View funding-firm Y-Combinator, but soon they’ll be heading back to New York.
The pair were impressed by the Valley’s culture of “suspending disbelief” and concentrating on the product rather than the bottom line. But they say the growth of New York is just too attractive to pass up.
“I don’t think anyone would say the Valley isn’t still the cream-of-the-crop startup Mecca,” said Mr. Albert. “But things are changing for the better in New York, and it’s just an awesome city.”
Rock on, HireHive, and welcome back to New York after such a successful Y Combinator summer! Startups like you are bringing the geek culture to NYC. Don't forget your Dominion cards.