I live and work in the route 128 tech sector or the "Route 128 Technomafia" as we like to call it.<p>The biggest problem is it's image - it's full of large stuffy software / tech companies that cater to business and not the end consumer. These types of businesses are not likely to attract young hackers that will truly innovate. I get the feeling that (for the most part) route 128 is where good hackers go to settle down and live a "normal" life.<p>Another reason 128 doesn't attract the hacker crowd is the availability of public transportation. Its a pain in the ass to get to any of the major office parks / buildings out there without catching multiple busses or trains. Most young innovators don't have the desire or the money to pay for a car in Boston which is necessary to make it to the area.<p>So - fix public transportation first, and maybe some startups will decide to make a home out there. Hopefully that can slowly build the hacker brand east coast style :)
I worked for a couple startups in the Boston area, then moved out to Google in Silicon Valley.<p>In my experience, the difference is culture. In Boston startups, the message is "Pay your dues." In Google, the message - from the start - is "Change the world." Which one is more appealing to a hacker fresh out of college?<p>It also doesn't help that Boston startups tend to focus on B2B areas with predictable revenue streams. There's no brand consciousness about Boston startups, because they generally don't sell to the public. So when you're out with friends and they ask what you do, you have to answer "I work at some startup you've probably never heard of" instead of "I work at Google."
From the article: "Some doubt the effectiveness of a marketing slogan, as opposed to a name arising organically, the way Route 128 or Silicon Valley seemed to do. And they question whether a campaign to come up with a catch phrase that captures today's amorphous industry will distract from the more important work of building new technology businesses."<p>Anyone remember "Silicon Gulch", or "Silicon Forest"?<p>Anyone really interested in why Silicon Valley triumphed over Route 128 should read AnnaLee Saxenian's Regional Advantage. Hint: it was in great part due to the differences in personalities and business philosophies of William Hewlett-David Packard and Ken Olsen.
The comments on the article (on boston.com) are absolutely ridiculous.<p>I think that Massachusetts could rival California as a startup hub; there just needs to be some better foreign corporation laws and less taxes.
Tech needs to expand beyond Rte.128. Rte's 95, 90, 495, and 146 make working in tech more viable for those of us south of the pike. Having more tech clustered in Boston around Back Bay and South Stations would be a huge boon given the commuter lines.<p>128 has been where all the really good work is, relative to RI, but the 3 hour per day average commute is unbearable.