Comments on: I Want My CIC! … The Benefits for Startups to Be Co-Located

By: 165street

165street — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:03:28 +0000

@msuster – is 12,000sq ft in van nuys big enough and not too far out of the way? i know it's not weho (where i live) and it's not as glamorous as santa monica, but it's a fully wired building (t3) and built out for over 100 stations in multiple kinds of configurations. it's right off the 405 and near the orange line.

By: Katchison Atchison

Katchison Atchison — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:38:13 +0000

Hi Mark,

I like your summary of the advantages of co-location. Our faculty are reporting those exact benefits for first entrepreneurs in the UCLA CNSI incubator. If you haven't been over to see our first step incubation strategies, please give me a call and come visit. We are also very interested in a next size up co-location set-up on the Westside, and several people are looking at the possibilities. If others are as well, let's discuss.

Kathryn Atchison, UCLA

By: Joe Patrick

Joe Patrick — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:57:13 +0000

Hi Mark,

Sorry, I'm a bit late commenting on your post, but I have been to CoLoft for the TechCrunch MeetUp and had a great experience. I had the chance to talk with Cameron and some of the other companies that regularly work there and heard nothing but positive things. In fact, I'm lobbying to get a CoLoft here in Orange County (where I'm at.)

However, I stumbled on this site the other day: http://www.blankspaces.com. I tried to read through all the comments but didn't see any mention. I have not had a chance to see it in person, but I wanted to share.

By: Brian Q Pham

Brian Q Pham — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:01:53 +0000

Mark,

Recent UCLA grad here. There's actually an incubator on the UCLA campus in the CNSI building.

http://www.cnsi.ucla.edu/staticpages/incubation

It houses 8-10 startups and offers 2000 sq ft. of space each. Currently none of the startups are software companies and are all developing UCLA IP. However, UCLA doesn't take any equity in the companies.

I've never been there, but from what I'm reading it seems that CIC is actually leasing an MIT owned building. I wonder if we could work something out with UCLA to do something similar or maybe expand their existing incubator. I think something in proximity to a university would be great for students (exposure to startups) and entrepreneurs (free interns) alike.

It really is one of my dreams to see a thriving LA startup scene and I would love to work with you on this if you'd allow it. Although I don't have specific experience in starting incubators, I would be dedicated and could be your arms and legs since you do have a day job (blogging of course).

By: Gavin Doughtie

Gavin Doughtie — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:45:03 +0000

As somebody who slogs the 30 miles from Pasadena to Santa Monica most days, I think the accretion of tech on the west side ignores some of the realities of Los Angeles geography. There are no convenient train lines there, and the traffic flow in and out is dreadful. That means that the rich technical expertise that falls out of Caltech, JPL and Harvey Mudd tends to stay in the Pasadena-Monrovia end of things (or rides the vanpool with me). Downtown LA is a lot more central and accessible, but it may be too late to fight the west LA momentum.

By: Dylan Salisbury

Dylan Salisbury — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:19:43 +0000

I agree with the benefits to the community.. what's your vision of how this is funded and the return for investors? Seems like you have at least these options:

1. Funded directly by tech industry insiders who receive additional value by extending their reach. This is great but it limits your investor pool and excludes professional real-estate investors, right? PNP may fall into this category.

2. Profit-making enterprise: Attract traditional sources of capital and offer high returns. Higher overall rent per square foot, extra source of revenue such as remote NOC, hosting, legal referral, etc. Sounds too risky for real-estate investors, too low-growth for other investors?

3. Non-profit: This opens up lots of funding options, and you can attract a management team of industry insiders who benefit from deeper industry involvement.

4. Something closer to being a seed VC: Take a chunk of equity from each tenant? Screen their business plans? But then you might as well be a TechStars or Y Combinator?

Which is these do you have in mind, or am I totally missing the business model?

By: Peter Beddows

Peter Beddows — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:49:23 +0000

With all due respect, to say “For jobs to recover, the grinds have to recover” is clearly over simplistic if not even a distraction from the root of the general malaise in which we find ourselves as a country yet Brooks surely has a point when he suggests “but it’s hard to see how that will happen so long as households are still so leveraged, government debt is still so unnerving and the business climate is still so terrible for entrepreneurs.”

While Angel and VC funds may be available to worthy ventures, the fact is that many a small business is now close to no longer being in business because there is no money coming forth to support normal business activity from the banks and that has a great deal to do with the way Congress is, and has been, handling the situation.

Of course, this is also a subject for another thread but since the topic was raised here, we answered here.

By: msuster

msuster — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:34:09 +0000

I love Brooks. But today he is off base. His analogy doesn't hold. He's having an anti-administration soft rant. Many words of truth but the absence of “grinds” isn't the problem with the recovery. Thanks for pointing me to his post.

By: Mark Essel

Mark Essel — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:02:48 +0000

Dogpatch sounds like an excellent work environment. If the SF move works out later this year/early '11 I'll give them a look. I assume apartment office for any year 1 to keep costs low, then move to a better space to meet up with folks.

By: CJ Westerberg

CJ Westerberg — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:07:02 +0000

Would LOVE to hear your comments on Brooks today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/opinion/13bro...

CJ Westerberg
Editor-in-Chief
www.thedailyriff.com