If you think the way the NSW government is treating Sydney startups badly, wait until you get to Melbourne

While Sydney as a tech ecosystem bemoans the looming ‘relocation’ of their Sydney Startup Hub, we here in Melbourne, even as a ‘4th Most Liveable City in the world’ aren’t even currently a good place to build a tech company, period.

We don’t have a ‘home’ for startups.

We don’t have a thriving scene.

We don’t have the investment pathways required to accelerate nascent potential at a pre-seed stage.

And those of us here are acutely aware that we don’t carry the significance as a tech destination, that we once did.

This is the reality, and it’s saddened me personally of late. Especially for all the potential we carry due to what makes our city unbelievably special.

Being a Melbourne-born, Melbourne-raised, Melbourne-grown and Melbourne-existing specimen, and having seen an early days -> COVID -> post-COVID transition first-hand AND contributing, I can probably say my piece from a few unique perspectives of late that informs my somewhat subjective opinion.

I only need to reference my time in WA the past few years to see that ecosystem is charging up, and our energy is severely lacking in comparison.

I only need to reference my time spent in Austin TX at SXSW earlier this year to note that there were many examples of significant investment, speed to decision-making, and tech colliding with culture to understand what Melbourne itself could do so much better.

I only need to reference my time in Tractor Ventures when funding a couple hundred companies with alt capital to see there is an entire wave of tech companies that don’t sit in this VC shaped scene.

I only need to reference a Melb conference like Pause Fest running for the better part of a decade, independently, to see what concentrated activation can do for a town.

And I’d only need to reference my time sitting in University of Melbourne land to understand just how much universities could play a part in this, and when they should most definitely get out of the way.

We’ve had a lot of people contribute in the early days to build Melbourne towards something that is special.

But we are kidding ourselves if a lot of the social capital and goodwill that was a formative factor in Melbourne’s growth in those early days, is the path forward for Melbourne’s future as a tech destination.

I have no personal interest in having the same tired conversation with people that VC’s are to blame, or Uni’s are to blame, or corporates are to blame, or Gov is to blame.

There’s blame, and then there’s action. And someone, or some group, needs to take some action to get Melbourne inching forward, once again.

Starting with, in my opinion: Finding the Melbourne startup ecosystem a home, then building engagement within those walls, as a start.

And I’d be challenging Nick Reece, Lord Mayor of City of Melbourne, to be one person that leads on this front as a start, what with the recent agreement to consider developing a local Innovation Development Fund.

Thank you, sorry to get all Jerry Maguire on you there.

• Garry Williams is the founder of Group Group, a specialist advisory+execution brand, focused on the overlap between technology, culture & capital.