Startup Ecosystems Fail Because of Investors
Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Yes, I meant what I said in that headline… let’s see if I can back it up. In my conversation with Bryan Hancock on Executive Connect, I pulled back the curtain on the startup mythology that’s selling cities, founders, and investors a false bill of goods. We don’t need more accelerators. We need people who
- Published in Economic Development, Startups
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What Startups Can Learn from Utility Regulation: How Northwestern’s Five Prisms Reveal the Blueprint for Disruption
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Having recently discovered Lynne Kiesling, my attention was drawn to Northwestern University’s Institute for Regulatory Law & Economics‘ Five Prisms, which she shared online and which I’ve included here (granted, without asking, I hope they don’t mind). Economic regulation in our rapidly changing world faces challenges I find legislators and local leaders ill equipped to
- Published in Economic Development, Startups
Founders and Policymakers Need Us at the Table— Before They Decide the Future for Us
Monday, 21 April 2025
With my work increasingly entrenched in Washington, D.C., state capitols, and the public policy battles shaping entrepreneurship and venture capital, I’ve found myself staring down a familiar name in tech: Google. Again. For many of us, the latest antitrust accusations is déjà vu, about privacy, about data, and control – whether it’s Apple, Microsoft, X,
- Published in AI, Economic Development, Search
The Startup Scorecard: How Governments Can Unlock Trillions in Innovation and Economic Growth
Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Nations that adopted startup-friendly policies mid-1990s or early 00s, and consistently implemented effective measures, are now reaping the rewards; seamlessly transitioning into digital economies and enjoying long-term benefits. Conversely, those that dragged their feet on economic development of startup ecosystems are now grappling with how (and in my experience, for the most part, are failing,
- Published in Economic Development, Startups
The Government is Being Run Like a Startup — And Maybe it Should Be
Friday, 31 January 2025
For decades, we’ve spent an obscene amount of time arguing about whether the U.S. Constitution is a living document or set in stone. Whether the Amendments should be revisited, rewritten, or left alone. Whether the rules written by men in powdered wigs should still govern a nation where you can generate artificial intelligence in your
- Published in Economic Development
Trump’s First Few Days for Independents
Thursday, 23 January 2025
In the world of entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems, where disruption, innovation, and venture capital reign supreme, keeping an eye on public policy isn’t just smart — it’s essential. Government actions shape the macroeconomic environment, influence capital flows, and define the rules of the game for the next generation of innovators. With a new administration in
- Published in AI, Economic Development
The Challenges of Regulating AI in a Borderless Digital World
Friday, 03 January 2025
Regulating artificial intelligence (AI) presents unique and profound challenges. AI systems operate across borders, leveraging global datasets, and are influenced by the rapidly evolving nature of machine learning technologies. Governments attempting to impose regulatory frameworks on AI face the dual difficulty of understanding and anticipating the implications of these complex systems while contending with the
- Published in AI
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