Several times a month I’m asked for advice about building a tech startup center based on experience at the Atlanta Tech Village. Entrepreneurs from cities in both the metro region and the Southeast are interested in creating stronger entrepreneurial communities with a higher density of startups.
After four years at the Tech Village, here are four quick ideas on building a tech startup center:
- Community First – Everything starts and ends with the community. From the entrepreneurs to the mentors to the people in different roles, it’s all about community. Ensure there’s a critical mass of community and the rest will follow.
- Location, Location, Location – The old adage still rings true that location is key. People want to be in a great location that makes it easy to recruit from the surrounding region.
- Lots of Spaces – Create lots of little spaces. Four-person offices are the most popular offering at the Tech Village. Incorporate phone booths, meeting rooms, and a variety of breakout spaces. Then, combine those with a large, central community area.
- Success Stories – Build a culture of success. Celebrate success. Get successful, serial entrepreneurs to start their next venture in the building. The faster success stories emerge from the community, the greater the halo effect and others will want to join.
Building a tech startup center is just like building any other type of community. Find people that are passionate about it, create a cool physical space, and work to nurture and grow the community.
What else? What are some more ideas on build a tech startup center?
David Cummings on Startups 
Great write up David.
5. In the burbs, where density becomes a greater obstacle, or in the city where an unsubsidized space is at a great premium, the hub/center should to specialize.
Thank you for this. We are working on building this with New Leaf Digital in Huntsville, Alabama. We have a loose membership of 2,200 millennial-aged STEM professionals, we’ve so-far done 150 events over the past two years, and we have a thriving, high-momentum community. Our next step is to get our own space for which we are about to sign our lease and get started. It’s an exciting time here in Huntsville! Can’t wait to have our own Atlanta Tech Village.