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Message
re: Why Austin Failed To Become The Next Silicon Valley
Posted on 8/28/25 at 7:29 am to Street Hawk
Posted on 8/28/25 at 7:29 am to Street Hawk
lol...
I'm not a fan of Austin and cannot wait until my daughter graduates HS in 2028 so we can get out of here...but that AI generated video was obviously made by someone who hates Austin more than me.
Austin was never looking to become the next Silicon Valley. With SXSW especially, I've always felt that Austin was more interested in entrepreneurs as a whole, and not necessarily one segment, but it just so happened that it started getting known for Tech, so everyone said we're the next Silicon Valley.
The cities politics are garbage. A lot of the folks that live there are so left they can't see what's right. Home prices are high and there's been a major strain on infrastructure and natural resources. Some things definitely need to be sorted out to maintain or fuel more growth.
That said, show me a city in modern history that has grown like Austin (you can't, BTW) - so I think it's obvious there would be some massive growing pains. Is it the mecca that many make it out to be - no. Is it the dump that many others make it out to be - no.
Austin definitely seems to have the "love it or hate it" vibe, but people still seem to be loving it more than hating it as of now. I just need the outer suburbs to hang on for three more years so we can sell and move on.
If anyone is looking for the exact opposite message from the OPs video, then check out the Austin Technology Council's post from July of this year - it will give you the warm and fuzzies about Austin.
LINK
I'm not a fan of Austin and cannot wait until my daughter graduates HS in 2028 so we can get out of here...but that AI generated video was obviously made by someone who hates Austin more than me.
Austin was never looking to become the next Silicon Valley. With SXSW especially, I've always felt that Austin was more interested in entrepreneurs as a whole, and not necessarily one segment, but it just so happened that it started getting known for Tech, so everyone said we're the next Silicon Valley.
The cities politics are garbage. A lot of the folks that live there are so left they can't see what's right. Home prices are high and there's been a major strain on infrastructure and natural resources. Some things definitely need to be sorted out to maintain or fuel more growth.
That said, show me a city in modern history that has grown like Austin (you can't, BTW) - so I think it's obvious there would be some massive growing pains. Is it the mecca that many make it out to be - no. Is it the dump that many others make it out to be - no.
Austin definitely seems to have the "love it or hate it" vibe, but people still seem to be loving it more than hating it as of now. I just need the outer suburbs to hang on for three more years so we can sell and move on.
If anyone is looking for the exact opposite message from the OPs video, then check out the Austin Technology Council's post from July of this year - it will give you the warm and fuzzies about Austin.
LINK
This post was edited on 8/28/25 at 1:06 pm
3
Posted on 8/28/25 at 8:10 am to LSUballs
quote:
When your weirdness is contrived for the sake of being weird it eventually just becomes stupidity.
This. Austin was never particularly weird to begin with, in my experience. The dumb “Keep Austin Weird” marketing never made sense to me, other than maybe a small part of town. I mean, if someone said “Keep New Orleans Raggedy” the saying would at least check out.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 8:12 am to Street Hawk
Having only UT is the reason. SV has Berkely, Stanford and Cal Tech to choose from.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 8:12 am to TaderSalad
Right. So they’re moving back to MAGA country in Silicon Valley.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 8:13 am to Swagga
quote:
Austin is too big IMO, if I lived there I’d be ecstatic to hear it’s shrinking.
Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Baltimore would like a word on how shrinking sucks.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 8:20 am to Street Hawk
Did Austin fail? Or was this made by someone who hates Austin and WANTS it to fail?
This post was edited on 8/28/25 at 8:21 am
Posted on 8/28/25 at 8:20 am to Street Hawk
1. Traffic sucks
2. Half the people are Art Major types
3. The other half don’t speak English
4. UT is there.
5. And traffic sucks
I don’t do math.
2. Half the people are Art Major types
3. The other half don’t speak English
4. UT is there.
5. And traffic sucks
I don’t do math.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 9:09 am to RummelTiger
I'm with you Rummy. Property taxes due to all this growth has made ATX unsustainable. We have a rental property close to St. Elmo that when we retire and the kids are out of the house in a few years, we plan on spending winters here and Spring/Summer in Maine.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 9:19 am to Street Hawk
Thank God it didn’t fully become the next Silicon Valley. People who live here yearn for the old days before all the tech companies moved in.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 9:29 am to Street Hawk
Austin's biggest draw is that it is in money-rich Texas, but it is not Dallas or Houston which appeal to few people. Among its big problems are that the water is running out, and it's poorly located for good logistics. Dell is a silicon success, but there are few similar successes. There are some high-tech defense contractors which are hard to judge because of secrecy, but that sector seems unable to boost the economy. UT is like most big state U's...too big to drive innovation anymore.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 10:24 am to Tree_Fall
quote:
are that the water is running out
Lakes are full again baw
Posted on 8/28/25 at 10:36 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
Lakes are full again baw
For now...
Central Texas' problem is, way too many people live there for the amount of rain it gets annually.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:03 pm to Powerman
quote:
What do you think silicon valley is? A bunch of people wearing MAGA hats?
It’s changed because of Google’s growth, and the type of employees they hire, but it wasn't all that long ago that SV had a hardcore bastion of nerdy Libertarian types at the heart of the industry.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:10 pm to goofball
quote:
Austin was comparable to Baton Rouge in the 1960s and 1970s. Now look at those two metro areas today. One has seen modest, predictable growth while the other became a real boom town. I’d say Austin clearly had a stratospheric rise since then and should be proud for leaving their peers in the dust in a relatively short time. Tech is mobile and there are many other smaller tech hubs in flyover country that didn’t really exist 20 years ago. Austin has 1-2 dominant industries and needs to diversify, and they seem to be doing that albeit slowly.
I feel like demographics and culture also played a role in this divergence.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:15 pm to RummelTiger
quote:
I'm not a fan of Austin and cannot wait until my daughter graduates HS in 2028 so we can get out of here...but that AI generated video was obviously made by someone who hates Austin more than me.
The homo AI voice was a nice touch. Must be someone from California who hates Austin's growth. Delta is going to open a hub in Austin soon. Austin can shove it, but it's not going anywhere.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:17 pm to TutHillTiger
quote:no east /west freeway
Traffic
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:19 pm to cwil177
Forced bussing really took down Baton Rouge a few pegs.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:29 pm to LSUballs
quote:
When your weirdness is contrived for the sake of being weird it eventually just becomes stupidity.
DFW
This Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:53 pm to Street Hawk
Fun fact about Austin, they have the highest paid police in the country.
Posted on 8/28/25 at 12:59 pm to OweO
San Jose has the highest paid police in the country with an average salary of $145,000 for patrolmen. SF is also ranked high with an average salary of $116,000 for patrolmen.
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