Why New York Beats San Francisco for Startup Reality Checks
In this commentary, Ali Partovi explains why his startup operations are based in New York rather than San Francisco. He criticizes the San Francisco ecosystem for fostering an unrealistic perception that almost every founder’s company is thriving, which he argues is statistically implausible. This pervasive narrative creates pressure and fear of judgment for entrepreneurs who fail. By contrast, New York offers a clearer, less hype‑driven environment that reduces external expectations, allowing founders to experiment and fail without the same level of scrutiny.
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