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Key Takeaways To build a lasting regional innovation economy, communities must strategically invest in local talent, funding and policy incentives that encourage startups — and their leaders — to stay and scale locally.
Every founder celebrates launch day — that moment your idea becomes real. But far fewer plan for what happens next.
The truth is, the hardest part of building a company isn’t getting started. It’s staying — staying funded, staying competitive, staying in an environment that supports growth.
We talk a lot about “startup ecosystems,” but there’s a persistent myth that if a city funds a few startups, hosts demo days and attracts some investors, the rest will take care of itself. Capital will arrive. Leaders will follow. Companies will grow — and stay.
In reality, it rarely works that way.
Startups are mobile. If the local conditions aren’t right — if there’s no capital, leadership or infrastructure — they move. And they should.
For founders, that mobility is both a risk and an opportunity. Because if your environment can’t support your growth, the smartest thing you can do is find one that can.
Related: Rapid Business Expansion Can Be a Good Thing — But It Comes With Challenges. Here’s How to Make This Growth Sustainable.
Startups leave for the same reasons talent leaves
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