Popular photo-sharing site Flickr started in Vancouver in 2004 and become the darling of the emerging trend that would become Web 2.0. Its sale to Yahoo! for a rumoured $30 million should have been a proud home-town success story; however, the fairy tale was marred when Yahoo! required the company to move to Silicon Valley as a condition of the sale.
There is, however, the possibility of a happy ending nevertheless. In case you missed the news, Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake, the company's founders, are leaving beleagered web giant Yahoo! While there is no news of any plans for the near future, I for one would like to extend an offer to the dynamic duo: come home guys!
Who's with me?
Update: There is now a Bring Caterina and Stewart Home Facebook group - go show your support for the cause by joining the group!
Go Brendon go! Another good reason for Stewart and Caterina to come back is Sonnet, their child. As a fellow parent, I think the quality of life for children is higher here than in San Francisco. although I do love San Francisco almost as much as I love Vancouver!
With you, Brendon - let's show them some love from the community and convince them to come back!
w00t! Vancouver, FTW!
It shouldn't take much convincing. Vancouver is a great place to raise a family, and our tech community is the best there is. Their homecoming would be proof of that, and force a lot of folks to take notice.
So Stewart and Caterina, if you're reading this...not only will we welcome you back with open arms, but heck- we'll even throw a party!
Yeehaw! Vancouver will be even more fun now. It's the premium lifestyle up here fersure.
I was just having this same conversation yesterday when I read that Stewart and Caterina had left Yahoo! They have the contacts in SV already, they just need to remember the good old days and start their next venture in Vancouver again.
I'd say the 2 options look like this.
Work + some life around the edges = San Fran.
Work + life = Vangroovy.
The most interesting work always happens outside the centre, so if they want to do interesting work and have a life, c'mon up!
Locals would benefit from their experience. What attracts them to Vancouver? Are they still interested in the entrepreneurial lifestyle?
[...] Vancouver Tech community’s calls have gone unanswered and Flickr founding Caterina Fake has announced plans to join a fledgling new New York startup [...]
