The Wall Street Journal recently mentioned Chattanooga and Bellhops in a piece about tech startups outside of Silicon Valley. Check out the full article here.
We sat down with Cameron Doody, Bellhops co-founder, to get the full scoop.
Q: What else did you say to the Wall Street Journal?
A: We mainly talked about what it is like scaling a company outside the Valley. While recruitment is something that is a constant battle for us, our employee retention is extremely high. Once we make a hire, they usually stay with us for the long haul. Companies in the Valley or other major tech hubs battle the opposite- talent is readily available, but retaining talent is extremely difficult. If we were based in Silicon Valley, we'd have 10,000 other venture backed companies throwing equity at our employees.
Q: Did the reporter ask about the GIG? Or the importance of reliable, high-speed internet service?
A: Yep, we talked about the gig. More than anything, the Gig brings credibility to our city because we [Chattanooga] put our money where our mouth is, and installed fiber before Google. That typically comes as a surprise to anyone, and opens the conversation for other things tech related.
Q: You focused on tech talent. What else would you like to share about recruiting tech talent in Chattanooga?
A: I want to go on record and say that I believe we can recruit whoever we want to this city. Do you know what our best tactic is? We put people on planes. We hurry conversations along as quickly as possible with candidates and buy them plane tickets. Once they see this beautiful city, and meet our team who is working on extremely hard problems and having a great time doing it, 95% of the work is done. Chattanooga is not a hard sell.
Q: What message would you have to companies considering relocating here or expanding in our region?
A: This is the best mid-sized city in the country. No traffic, incredibly beautiful, endless things to do, some of the nicest people on the planet, incredible food and music, 1.5 hours from 5 professional sports teams, mountains, rivers, lakes, and a Chamber that will break their back to get you here.
Q: Anything else you would like to share with readers?
A: It's moving season. We're the answer between abusing friends and hiring traditional movers. Check us out at GetBellhops.com.
