Techstars, Boulder

I sometimes think of myself as a VERY lucky guy. Other times I think, “I have worked my ass off to get here”.

Where is here?

It is the ability to have conversations that change my opinions. thought processes, perspectives – and my social graph.

Because @Scobleizer and @rocmanusa work for me (in reality, I think I work for them – but an org chart is an org chart!) – I have been able to meet some amazing people, and get invited to some amazing events.  Backstage at a live Diggnation event?  Done that.  Talking live to tens of thousands of people – been there.  Dinner with the Techstars team? Done that as well now.

This is precisely why Rackspace hired Robert and Rocky.  I may have suggested it – and enabled it – but it is the company that saw the value and pursued it.  It’s why I work for Rackspace in the first place.  They are a great “what if” company – and not many companies get to this size and still have that imagination (my experience anyway).

So what is this post about?

It is about Techstars – an amazing “experience” that takes place in Boulder, Colorado.  It is not an “event” – it is much more than that. It’s an amazing group of people that come together to help others become amazing.

It is a blend of my favorite word – helpful, and my favorite past-time – helping people learn.

It is a collaboration I fell in love with three years ago – when I didn’t know anyone involved in the project personally.  Now I do.

I had the most amazing time in Boulder.  From Techstars, to the weather.  From the people I met to the community they are building – there is magic in this city.  It is now one of my most favored cities on this planet (and I have been to many of the countries/cities on this planet!)

So – what makes Boulder/Techstars interesting? People, of course.  And the people I met were amazing.  And more than that – they were all helpful.  Ask a question, “Who should I talk to in Boulder” and you are likely to get someone extolling the virtues of a competitor.  They are all friends after all.  It is a VERY close-knit community.

They don’t seem to compete as much as they seem to collaborate – and through that, they all win.

David Cohen was an amazing host.  We exchanged a few emails and then just showed up.  And he made sure we had access to what was important – yet he never sold us anything.  Never tried to sell us anything.  Never ASKED for anything. #respect

I arrived in Boulder with no clue what to expect, and left with VERY high expectations for Boulder as a tech-centric hub in the years to come. They have everything going for them – a vibrant community, a thriving tech scene, local entrepreneurs who want to help others, a wonderful climate, they are a college town and have scenery to die for.  And that is just scratching the surface on the positives.

They are also just really nice – and helpful.

Boulder – you have my attention!

I’ll be back.