Wellington - Full of genuises

On Friday I was sitting have a beer in 3C' listening to one of the founders of company who has been going for 13 years, listening to how a great partner relationship saved them one on occasion when things got a bit tight. The afternoon beer and chat got me thinking about:

- how talented some people are, to have done what they have done
- but also with some additional focus and investment (whether funding or tax incentives) how good we can really be when it comes to software or product development?

What I was most impressed by was the lack of ego and the passion these guys have for what they do. I could easily see how they have grown from three guys to over one hundred staff (but they do have some good war stories to tell).

Now there are many stories like this I am sure (just look at Xero, Starnow, Kitomba etc) but do we, the general public or the politicians know about them, especially those that are between one and two years of age where the acid really comes on small start-up companies?

I am sure talking to people inside the likes of Starnow and Kitomba they would have a few suggestions for the politicians on what else could be done for small entities, that can ship product off-shore or have the ability to capture an international audience based on their product / software to enhance there chances of succeeding.

Or is it as simple as going to the bank or going to angel investors asking for funding? Possibly, but I think there is still more the government can do as there are many, many geniuses in our city.