The Venture Edge

Last month Kathy posted on the topic of where to start your business, citing a recent Fortune Small Business and Kauffman Foundation report titled "Best Places to Launch." While Kathy (and Fortune and Kauffman) certainly have a point -- that some areas of the country may be better than others to start and grow a business -- I think there's more to it than that.

This afternoon I was monitoring NASA TV for what was to be the launch of the space shuttle Endeavor.  Ultimately, once again, the mission was aborted for weather, but as I listened to the rocess leading up to the scrubbing of the launch, I couldn't help but see the parallels with the kinds of things entrepreneurs go through at the run-up to the launch of their ventures, or the challenges that thwart a company attempting to secure an investment or complete an IPO.  As with a shuttle launch, it's all about timing and polling all the relevant stakeholders for a go/no-go decision before the final committment is made.