All Forum Posts by: Kraig Kujawa

NY and NJ wouldn't really make sense for them @Account Closed

@Clifford Tran totally agree. I moved to Austin from San Francisco about 4 years ago and when the moving company asked where i was going, they replied "You and everyone else". They said 50% of their business was moving Bay Area people to Austin!

HI there, please include me. Thank you

@David Thompson yep, I didn't go there, but it's totally true. Austin is a liberal mecca, and so is Bezos. It means more to them than they would publically admit, but it does. As an aside, they also just completed a major airport expansion and right before I left, were adding more and more direct flights by the month.

Amazon-Wholefoods in TX makes too much sense.  I just don't see Boston or Chicago as true competition there. Maybe Denver.

@Anthony Gayden I agree with you. Amazon isn't stupid; i think theyre trying to squeeze a better deal out of the place they have already selected.

@Jocelyn Ahuja  A lot of East Austin is gentrifying and/or hip, desirable. Can you tell me which street it is? DM me, I know the area very well. 

Try to think about this through Amazon's lens. What does Amazon NEED?

NEED

They need LOTS of tech people, and QUICKLY. What cities have that? Not Detroit

They need to be able to RECRUIT to areas that will draw talent (whether you like Seattle or not, you can argue its an acquired taste -- costly and not sunny)

They need LOTS of space and they need to be able to scale quickly

They need something this new location can offer that dreary Seattle cannot (Sun and lower cost of living)

WANT

Amazon would love to get massive tax credits

Amazon would love to get cheap talent right out of school.

So given this criteria, I believe Dallas, Austin, North Carolina, Denver, Orlando would be likely targets.

BONUS FOR AUSTIN: Amazon just bought Whole Foods. I used to live in Austin and so I know Whole Foods holds leases on EMPTY office space all over downtown.

Detroit is bad for recruiting

Chicago is not great for tech

THINK like Amazon and you will win.

@Poem Turner is active in Austin and has plenty of expertise. You two should connect.

@Chris Dawson is 64129 still a bad rental area? I'm now seeing it listed as a A/B+