Well, I promised I would, and now I am. Going to Newcastle, that is. I’ll be there for a few days, starting Thursday 23 July, and I’m keen to meet some hotshots from the North East keen to prove my legendarily unpopular thesis wrong. I’m looking for the hottest internet start-ups in the North East.
While I won’t have time to get around to everyone, I’ll be at the Codeworks party on Thursday night, so hopefully I’ll be able to say hi to as many people as possible there. (I’ll be the one in the corner, surrounded by bodyguards, looking sheepish.)
I’ll also be at The Forth pub from 12noon to 3pm on Thursday.
If you fancy grabbing a pint – even if only to tip it over my head – please drop me a line. And I promise to do a write-up or report of some kind when I get back.
Are you being funny… after your shocking write up on the state of northern startups. You have the cheek to put a header across the top of your blog, that translates to ‘let injury by words be absent’!
Are you taking this trip at the expense of the public purse!
http://www.onenortheast.co.uk/page/news/article.cfm?articleId=3628
As a new tech start-up here in the North I say kudos to you for coming and facing your critics, it takes some gonads
We Geordies are a proud bunch, naturally we’re going to get our backs up when we read an article with the words “Grim” and “North” in. But the atmosphere here right now feels so fresh and vibrant I really hope some of it rubs off on you on Thursday!
Looking forward to meeting you and your sea of bodyguards
Paul & David King (The Kings),
1DayLater
http://www.1daylater.com
http://blog.1daylater.com
Hi Milo!
I think that one of the greatest personality traits is to be open to a change of mind / opinion, and like Paul am impressed by your willing to come to Newcastle.
The Codeworks events are pretty consistently good and hope that you get a rounded insight into the tech-scene goings on! So yes, me and Paul will be popping into The Forth tomorrow to have a chinwag – we’re very interested to meet you!
Paul & David King (The Kings),
1DayLater
http://1daylater.com
http://blog.1daylater.com
PS – Paul, I didn’t expect your comment here, a nice surprise!
Hi Milo,
To be honest I agree with you’re articles in spite of being a businessman born and bred in the North East, unless your ‘in bed’ with One North East, Business Link, NorthStar or any of the other so called ‘investors’ for the ‘good’ of the region then you don’t stand much chance. Understandably and unfortunately not every company is going to succeed but surely the ratio for VC/Equity etc must be dramatically improved to ensure more out of the 10 or 200 – whatever the figure maybe – SUCCEED
On another note Codeworks was handed it on a plate by One North East from day 1 to date and to be fair you have not done that much neither for the North East apart from waste tax payers money, use it for jollys and to take on so called IT professionals “laughs”… If you can convince me that any of the above investors and their ’starts ups’ have had success with the copious amounts of ‘public’ money they have received then I will hold my hands up. More should be done to ensure more success stories for the North East to justify the spending before Mr Cameron decides to abolish the RDA scheme altogether.
GRD Grants in the North East are a waste of time, If you face does not fit with the fat cat investors or one of the few companies in the know about the region’s ‘pots of money’ that is being wasted then you might as well try your luck in London or the south east….
After watching the video above regarding the meeting with Milo in Newcastle last week, I thought we have spotty IT so called ‘pros’ that all they do is suck up to One North East.
and well done Paul King for being so honest in the video by not talking rubbish and telling it how it is….
Pure a$$ licking CodeWorks for the benefit of One North East.
A suggestion, One North East needs to study where the money is going i.e. meet the companies and mentor them directly – or use mentors who are not rejects from their own industry failures who can be over paid by doing little to support companies before they retire! Maybe then we might get even more success for the region if the money is not distributed to donkeys who are also rejects from banking industries or accountant firms and no other hope in getting a job to sustain there wigs and cigars
that’s my gripe about living up here in the North East
Regards