public policy Archives - Startup Economist

Startup Ecosystems Fail Because of Investors

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

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

8 Comments

How Media Distorts the Truth About Regional Ecosystems – Apparently Austin is on Life Support

Tuesday, 27 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

There’s a reason the phrase “don’t believe everything you read” never dies. Because even when it’s printed in The Wall Street Journal, a brand so synonymous with business credibility that your uncle still calls it “The Paper,” the story can be skewed, shallow, and — let’s not mince words — wrong. In this case, we’re

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Published in Startup Ecosystems, Texas Startups

15 Comments

What Startups Can Learn from Utility Regulation: How Northwestern’s Five Prisms Reveal the Blueprint for Disruption

Thursday, 15 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

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

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

4 Comments

Founders and Policymakers Need Us at the Table— Before They Decide the Future for Us

Monday, 21 April 2025 by Paul O'Brien

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,

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Published in AI, Economic Development, Search

3 Comments

Quantum or Bust: The Playbook for Post-Silicon Economic Dominance

Friday, 21 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Earlier this week, Philip Farah, VP of sales, industries and strategic relationships for IonQ and William Hurley (aka whurley), CEO and founder of Strangeworks, joined The Texas Tribune‘s Matthew Watkins in their new series, “Tech and the Texas Lege,” examining how Texas can leverage emerging technologies — like artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and quantum computing —

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Published in Economic Development, Quantum

1 Comment

The End of Illusions: Why the Future of Freedom Lies in Innovation, Not Government Control

Saturday, 15 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

U.S. Vice President Vance Signals that Politicians are Finally Understanding the Internet In an era where governments are increasingly positioning themselves as the guardians of truth, security, and economic stability, a stark reality is becoming impossible to ignore: they can’t actually do any of it. The illusion that central authorities can safeguard speech, protect intellectual

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

17 Comments

The Startup Scorecard: How Governments Can Unlock Trillions in Innovation and Economic Growth

Tuesday, 04 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

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,

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

8 Comments