The real problem with Boston's high-tech startup community? Not enough boozy shmoozing

I think Wade is on to something. I attended a Mass Technology Leadership Council event in the Spring where the group (and its members) committed to creating a significant number of jobs over the next ten years. One of the main speakers talked about how a culture of innovation fosters working together (being in close proximity to one another). Silicon Valley has long been a place of constant talk of innovation.

So we see here the clear difference of 'those who can do, those who can't, write about it on their blogs' - I am sure Wade was wined and dined by plenty of the VC whores out on the west coast for some positive press about their newest bondongle, but anyone who has worked in the Boston startup scene knows the following:

1) "After work" usually means 10 pm, because a hallmark of the startup culture is long hours. So going for a 'drink after work' means you get home after midnight at least. Fine for the single HBS people or MIT nerds, not so great when you have a wife/kids.

2) Booze and schmooze tends to disappear when funding is tight, it isn't like 1999 when you could expense anything to the crooks running Sapient. Since some of the startups are self funded, every dollar counts, and spending $14 for a martini can be considered a luxury.

3) Drinking and getting together DOES occur, but most people tend to avoid the large event mixers because they are filled with headhunters and the out of work wantrepeneurs / damaged goods of tech folks

4) Some of the best engineers I've worked with we've hired out of our AA meetings.

5) With the collapse of the financial industry, many of the good downtown bars have closed or changed. Then again, who wants to drink with all the Umass business majors at Putnam

6) Anyone with more than 2 startup jobs under their belt knows it makes more sense to buy a big bottle of booze from Costco and drink at the office to wash down that Bertucci's pizza.