Amazon HQ2 thread - Page 161

The North One · #**3201** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 2:38 PM**

Detroit absolutely has the talent pool/ability to attract what they needed (especially over places like Indianapolis).

skyscraperpage17 · #**3202** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 2:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The North One

Detroit absolutely has the talent pool/ability to attract what they needed (especially over places like Indianapolis).

Amazon thought otherwise, which is a statement of fact and all that matters relative to any HQ2 discussion

JManc · #**3203** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 3:46 PM**

There's a lot of innovation coming out of Detroit probably not enough yet to lure AMZN but its there and attracting a lot of talent. I have a colleague (a futurist) from grad school who headed up there and has a few start-ups under his belt.

The North One · #**3204** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 4:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Amazon thought otherwise, which is a statement of fact and all that matters relative to any HQ2 discussion

It was a dumb excuse because if they ever seriously considered Detroit it would not have been a problem. There's no "fact" about it, Detroit is already an engineering capital with a plethora of universities to siphon from, there's nothing that Indianapolis or Columbus have over Detroit in that regard. Transit was a real issue though.

iheartthed · #**3205** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 4:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

There's a lot of innovation coming out of Detroit probably not enough yet to lure AMZN but its there and attracting a lot of talent. I have a colleague (a futurist) from grad school who headed up there and has a few start-ups under his belt.

Yeah, I know several people who just completed a startup accelerator program in Detroit that focuses on mobility companies. The program attracts entrepreneurs from around the country.

I think whatever scoring matrix Amazon used was heavily macro focused and thus couldn't pick up on what is brewing on the ground there. But Amazon will be fine where ever they choose to land. And Detroit seems to have taken the right lessons from the loss and not dwelled on it.

skyscraperpage17 · #**3206** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The North One

It was a dumb excuse...

What "casual observers" think is irrevelant.

The fact is, Amazon didn't think Detroit had the large pool of tech talent (nor the ability to attract the large pool of tech talent) it needs. Nothing else matters.

And I'm sure Detroit wasn't the only city rejected for that same reason. It was just the most glaring example to use (given it was one of the largest contenders rejected, and that it needs the economic investmemt Amazon would bring the most amongst the country's major cities) in my post about why people are assuming HQ2 will be a tech HQ.

mrnyc · #**3207** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 5:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aderwent

Why does everyone assume this needs to be a tech HQ? They already have that in Seattle. Perhaps this HQ2 is so Amazon can continue venturing into other sectors. They'll need marketers, designers, engineers, accountants, logistics managers, sales agents, buyers, etc. I think the more a city's economy is diversified the better than chances of landing this than being a "tech hub".

It's one reason a city like Columbus made the short list. They pull from 500,000 students in public universities in Ohio, not to mention multiple prestigious private universities, and all the universities 3 hours away in Pittsburgh, Indiana, and Kentucky.

exactly -- and again that's why the local colleges do not matter much. these mor business types are to be found anywhere. hell i would not put it past them to have these hq2 folks on time schedules running around with ridiculous quotas just like they do with employees at the warehouses.

they'll keep the prestige work, such as any of it ever is, home in seattle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

No.

yes.

iheartthed · #**3208** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 6:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

What "casual observers" think is irrevelant.

The fact is, Amazon didn't think Detroit had the large pool of tech talent (nor the ability to attract the large pool of tech talent) it needs. Nothing else matters.

And I'm sure Detroit wasn't the only city rejected for that same reason. It was just the most glaring example to use (given it was one of the largest contenders rejected, and that it needs the economic investmemt Amazon would bring the most amongst the country's major cities) in my post about why people are assuming HQ2 will be a tech HQ.

Amazon's rejection was focused on Detroit's transit deficiencies and its ability to attract 25-30 year olds.

Quote:

“One thing they are looking for is what places are likely to attract talent,” he said. “What are some of the factors that exist to attract talent from 25- to 30-year-olds.”

They also, he said, had a specific conversation about mass transit.

“Some on the list either have a robust transit system or, if they don’t, have plans for some,” he said. “That was not the only factor, by any means, but it was a factor.”

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/l...n-passes-over-detroit-2nd-hq/1043515001/

Detroit also was not the only large metro area to be eliminated. Of the top 16 metro areas, ignoring Seattle, Amazon eliminated Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Riverside CA, Detroit, and Minneapolis. Expanding it to the top 21, they also cut San Diego, Tampa, and St. Louis.

Looking at the list again, I think Amazon created subregions and measured each city according to its region. I'm not convinced there is a major difference between Raleigh and Charlotte, other than Raleigh having an edge by being closer to the major universities. Nor am I convinced that there is much difference between Miami and Tampa other than name recognition.

IrishIllini · #**3209** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 7:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Amazon's rejection was focused on Detroit's transit deficiencies and its ability to attract 25-30 year olds.

Right, Detroit is home to a fair number of engineers and the like and I'm fairly certain Detroit has experienced modest growth among the young adult demographic (early twenties to early-ish 30s). The transit situation in Detroit is not ideal and any attempts to make improvements are shot down by suburban voters clinging to dated perceptions of scary black and brown people coming to wreak havoc in their do-nothing suburb.

jtown,man · #**3210** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 8:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Amazon thought otherwise, which is a statement of fact and all that matters relative to any HQ2 discussion

burn

sopas ej · #**3211** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 8:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Investing In Chicago

This bolded part really made me laugh, as if the Right are the ones who are sensitive.

skyscraperpage17 · #**3212** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Amazon's rejection was focused on Detroit's transit deficiencies...

No.

Amazon to Detroit: You didn't have enough talent to get HQ2

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.freep.com/amp/1043624001

More to the point, Gilbert's commentary is probably closest to the truth...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/detroit.cur...1/24/16928978/dan-gilbert-amazon-hq2-bid

Besides, if transit were the issue, then Raleigh, Nashville, Columbus and Indianapolis would have also failed to make the short list.

Quote:

Detroit also was not the only large metro area to be eliminated.

Agreed. That's EXACTLY what I said in the post you quoted

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

And I'm sure Detroit wasn't the only city rejected for that same reason. It was just the most glaring example to use (given it was one of the largest contenders rejected, and that it needs the economic investmemt Amazon would bring the most amongst the country's major cities) in my post about why people are assuming HQ2 will be a tech HQ.

Sun Belt · #**3213** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:29 PM**

There can only be 1 winner. There are going to be some worthy cities that'll fall short for whatever it is that Amazon is in need of.

Sorry Detroit, but Amazon has some better options to choose from.

Via Chicago · #**3214** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 9:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aderwent

Why does everyone assume this needs to be a tech HQ? They already have that in Seattle. Perhaps this HQ2 is so Amazon can continue venturing into other sectors.

because thats literally what they said it was going to be.

LouisVanDerWright · #**3215** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 10:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

because that's literally what they said it was going to be.

That's literally this entire thread though "well maybe what Amazon is really looking for is political influence in Washington" or the ilk. Why couldn't it also be the case that HQ2 is really going to have nothing to do with tech? Why can't we just assume that Bezos' real plan is to resurrect dinosaurs and open a theme park a la Jurrasic Park? I for one think HQ2 could turn out to be a real live version of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, we can't assume it wont'! Who will get the golden ticket? Which city will fall into the chocolate whirlpool? Only one city will win the right to Bezos' candy empire!!!

10023 · #**3216** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 11:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc

yes.

Amazon is a logistics, IT and advertising platform.

left of center · #**3217** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 11:13 PM**

I hope no city gets it, and it turns out this was just an unorthodox marketing campaign by Amazon. People may be pissed, but boy will it sell Prime subscriptions!

montréaliste · #**3218** Posted **Oct 31, 2018, 11:32 PM**

Amazon is a river in Souff America. Period.

The North One · #**3219** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 12:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

There can only be 1 winner. There are going to be some worthy cities that'll fall short for whatever it is that Amazon is in need of.

Sorry Detroit, but Amazon has some better options to choose from.

Good, like I said, get your sugar mamma somewhere else.

No need to be sorry, really.

The North One · #**3220** Posted **Nov 1, 2018, 12:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Right, Detroit is home to a fair number of engineers and the like and I'm fairly certain Detroit has experienced modest growth among the young adult demographic (early twenties to early-ish 30s). The transit situation in Detroit is not ideal and any attempts to make improvements are shot down by suburban voters clinging to dated perceptions of scary black and brown people coming to wreak havoc in their do-nothing suburb.

The transit vote was extremely close and had it not been for galvanized trumpies and low voter turnout it would have undoubtedly passed. They picked the worst election year for the proposal, they also didn't advertise worth shit.