gistfile1.txt

### “What we’ve got here is a Failure to communicate…”

The Cincinnati startup web development community sucks. 

At least that’s the feeling we walked away with after reading an article posted March 11, 2012 by Laura Baverman on Cincinnati.com’s EnterChange blog.  The article holds some credible facts, but not necessarily inevitable conclusions. The end result of her observations seems a little flawed. Cincinnati can sustain not only talented coders and designers; it already does. Absolutely, lots of local talent will go elsewhere to seek employment and opportunities, but plenty have stayed because they recognize the potential right here in the Queen City.
Sure it’s risky joining a startup vs. an established corporation, but if recent history has shown us anything, at least we know the future always involves risk. We’re traditionally an exceptionally conservative city, but in times like these, risk is best placed where your heart lay. Passion and commitment are what drives business. What better way to focus on what you can control than being around people that can help nurture and notice you right here in Cincinnati, Ohio and beyond. 

### Reds vs. GIANTS 

“True, in Silicon Valley, you'll have an enormous pool of talent, lot's of money, and connections. In the Midwest we have less people, less money, and a pragmatic risk tolerance.  But the world is getting smaller. The communities are mixing.
The bottom line is that if you want to do a startup in the Midwest, big or small, it's easier to get it done now than it ever has been. We have different hurdles to overcome than startups in Silicon Valley, but they are just hurdles. You'll be jumping plenty of them on the way to a successful startup.” Ryan Walker, RecruitMilitary Chief Experience Officer

DO WE NEED ANYTHING BETWEEN THESE TWO QUOTES?

“Josh Fendley, founder of Ample Design, has tried to recruit staffers from the East and West coasts to handle growing demand for the coding language Ruby on Rails. It’s the platform on which Twitter and Hulu were built, ideal for social media sites that require frequent updates and can’t spare any downtime.”
Because the language hasn’t been adopted on a wide scale by large businesses, especially those locally, few Ruby on Rails developers exist in this region, Fendley says. He expects demand to continue to grow, and that he’ll be forced to grab talent from elsewhere.” Quote from Cincinnati.com article. But, Josh Fendley was perhaps slightly misquoted, as he has hired a local developer right here in the past for projects. (**Contact Josh/Bobby for correction**) An incredibly skilled group of people (not just Gaslight) but Rockfish, Ample, Brandery and CincyTech (NOT SURE WHO SHOULD BE INCLUDED?) are leading the push to make Cincinnati a Tech Hub. However, lack of reaching out and communication on both sides tends to lead to Ms. Braverman’s conclusion that jobs will be shipped to the coasts.

### Imagine all the people…
How do we get businesses and developers together?
We build a bridge. And it starts by getting local businesses, both small and large, even (eventually) national and international to recognize the talent, experience, and success of local developers to build and grow their future. There are many outlets to establish that future near you.


### Doing more awesome…Dislike
We can build it – they Will come. 
Gaslight Software has numerous products and ideas and we are constantly getting better at execution. Also, in an attempt to “bridge the gap” we are taking several initiatives to begin conversation, build a community and start connecting people better! Recently we have started a Web/Drinkup  http://www.meetup.com/Cincinnati-Web-Tech-Drinkup/ 
in partnership with Rockfish as well as a Friday Morning Tech coffee at the Gaslight offices. 

We are also leading the charge with QCMerge. The event will bring over 100 talented tech professionals together for intimate sessions on the most current topics in web development, design, social media & marketing. Top industry experts will be flown in to lead two days of informative sessions in which attendees will begin with a day of in-depth workshops and panel discussion followed by a day of awesome speakers. It’s a uniquely different kind of web conference that should be built into an annual event. We're looking forward to connecting with other professionals who are interested in the future of this industry and to supporting a future of good development & design. Follow us on Twitter for updates and announcements leading up to the event. We'll see you in the Future!