Fight Club: To flame or not to flame, that is the question.
Mon, October 16, 2006 at 8:42 PM in Unwarranted Rants 
Matt Asay wrote a column in Connect Magazine about entrepreneurship and startups in Utah. Matt states that Utah has significant hurdles for startups and concludes that entrepreneurs should consider leaving the state in order to gain experience. (I'm speed paraphrasing.)
Chris Knudsen takes exception to this on his blog here. In addition to trashing Matt's article, Chris uses the following language to attack Matt:
"Bay Area transplants riding into Utah on their high horses and knocking the state.."
"condescending garbage"
"asinine"
"How may I help you leave Utah…forever?"
"leave the Bay Area attitude in the bay. We do things a little different here and for that we offer no apology."
"don’t lecture me about whining. You’ve made an art out of it and Connect has been your outlet."
First: I do not know Matt Asay. I do not really know Chris Knudsen (although I met him once at Fight Club.)
Second, and this is the point, while Matt may be right or wrong, it's obvious to anyone reading Matt's blog (AC/OS) that he's worth listening to. Chris damages his credibility by resorting to personal attacks. No matter what your disagreement with an opinion, personal attacks are unwarranted. I've been on the receiving end of these type of flame attacks and it's not pleasant. So while Chris won't apologize, I will. Sorry Matt.
Utah has potential, but to think that Utah isn't a pale shadow of the coasts is silly. The reason companies or entrepreneurs relocate is because it's in their best interest. Matt's opinion is one I find reasonable (as were his comments on Utah's funding problems.). The first step in change is to understand where there are problems. Personal flame attacks have no place in the discussion.
I'll extend an invitation to both Matt and Chris to duke it out at Fight Club. I'll supply the oversized sumo suits.
Reader Comments (6)
Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems like everything that ends up on blogs and in connect are really a step below the people that are succeeding. Even the little guys getting great traction like Ryan Money (HireVue), Brock Blake (FundingUniverse), etc, are too busy raising businesses to blog more than once every two weeks or write an article in connect. I’m not so sure that any of us that spend any time thinking about this kind of crap are even qualified to comment, as the ones that keep their mouths shut seem to be the ones really out there killing it.
Not to say that they won’t, but what qualifies Matt over Chris (or anyone else trying to plug along in a company that hasn’t made it yet) to tell me that I shouldn’t start my business in Utah? Until you’ve done it, or fallen flat on your ass trying, I really have no motivation to listen. I’d like to hear Josh or Will or the SBI guys or the Overstock guys or the other big swingers in Utah comment. Even the fantastic failures (MyFamily? just kidding.) Until then, who are these guys trying to tell me I can or can’t start my business here? They haven’t failed massively or succeeded amazingly or done anything that leads me to believe I should listen.
I guess the bigger question here is: who the hell cares what guys like Matt and Chris have to say about the business climate in Utah? I have no doubt that both will end up successful: I'll listen to them then.
I agree completely, almost. What I'd add is that most effective business building uses network effects that are undermined by atacks that leave the relm of 'position' and get personal.
Ryan (HireVue) and Brock (Fundinguniverse.com) are both heavy networkers. (Ryan doesn't blog often because he's always at the dollar movies or playing poker in Rose Park.)
I agree. The networking part of it is substantially more useful.
I'm offended that Ryan hasn't invited me to play poker. I'm going to beat him up the next time I see him.
I don't think we've met before - Alex Lawrence keeps promising to invite me to Fight Club but then keeps going out of town. Maybe next time.
(Ryan plays in illegal poker games so he's secretive.)
You're right - personal attacks are unwarrented but I thought that Matt's attacks on the state and me indirectly in Connect were unwarrented as well. Any way, I suck.
I did extent a peace pipe to matt and I hope that he and I will meet face to face on the 24th.
By the way, Jeff, I thought the Connect article on you and your company was great. Congratulations on your success. Hopefully I will see you at the next fight club.