You Don't Need to Be in Silicon Valley to Grow Your Business People tend to flock to the major tech hub -- however, that doesn't guarantee success.
By Rose Leadem
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Editor's Note: In the new podcast Masters of Scale, LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner Reid Hoffman explores his philosophy on how to scale a business -- and at Entrepreneur.com, entrepreneurs are responding with their own ideas and experiences on our hub. This week, we're discussing Hoffman's theory: Silicon Valley has an inimitable blend of talent. No other region can match its collective capacity or wisdom for scaling, except maybe China.
While Silicon Valley might be a great place to grow a business -- it's not the only place.
Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, partner at VC firm Greylock and host of Masters of Scale, a podcast series examining counterintuitive theories to growing a company, believes that the talent and growth opportunities in Silicon Valley are unlike any other place in the world. And while he may not be wrong, Silicon Valley doesn't have to be the only place for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Related: Why Being Lazy Might Be the Secret to a Successful Tech Startup
In fact, Orlando-based Emmy Award winning producer and founder of Ambitious.com Greg Rollett has found much success outside Silicon Valley. And to the contrary of Hoffman's theory, working in a smaller city has been very beneficial to Rollett and his career.
"There's opportunity out there that I think people overlook," Rollett tells Entrepreneur's editor-in-chief Jason Feifer in a video. "In Orlando, the local colleges ensure that there's a diverse and enthusiastic talent pool, there's a number of retired executives and successful entrepreneurs looking for new ideas to invest in and it's easier to network locally and get your name out there.
Beyond hiring, funding and networking, Rollett and Feifer agree that smaller communities also act as good testing grounds for new ideas.
Related: Scale Culture Alongside Growth Through Diversity
"You can learn how to tell your story better so that by the time you're ready for that larger audience, you've refined yourself," says Feifer.
However, when it truly comes down to it -- both believe that it doesn't matter where you are, but what you build.
Check out the video to learn more about successfully launching and growing a company whatever your location might be.
