Science & Technology

Is Silicon Valley still the best place for startups? Insight Partners’ Ryan Hinkle doesn’t think so

Today on Equity () , Julie Bort sits down with Ryan Hinkle () a Managing Director at Insight Partners, the giant New York-based venture capital firm that invests in tech worldwide. It has $90 billion in assets under management and just raised a new $12.5 billion fund. () The pair unpack the evolving landscape of…

Published

1 year ago

March 5, 2025

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The pair unpack the evolving landscape of startup ecosystems. They talk about the post-pandemic shift that saw many founders moving to cities like New York or Miami only for the rise of OpenAI and Cerebral Valley () and the accompanying AI boom to reignite San Francisco and Silicon Valley in general.

While some founders say that they are now relocating their companies to San Francisco (‘ve%20relocated%20%7C%20TechCrunch) , Hinkle disagrees with the necessity of doing so.

He concedes that the Valley offers an unmatched talent pool but argues it also comes with steep costs and retention challenges, making it far from the only viable choice for startups.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

• Why startup success isn’t tied to a single location but rather to access to skilled, loyal, and affordable talent

• How Silicon Valley’s abundance of opportunities creates a “mercenary” hiring culture, making employee retention difficult

• The key differences between building in New York vs. Silicon Valley, including financial management and access to venture capital

Equity will be back on Friday with our weekly news roundup, so don’t miss it!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts () , Overcast () , Spotify () and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X () and Threads () , at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here () .

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we’ll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ()

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1 Comment

@Useless394

March 5, 2025 at 1:04 pm

Yes, but I have a preference for Miami and Beverly Hills.

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Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.
TechCrunch Disrupt: If you’re thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we’re back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets.

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type.

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Chapters:
00:00 We grew too fast
02:30 What Anjuna actually does
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06:10 The market crash hits
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First Look at Dyson’s $99 HushJet Mini Cool Portable Fan 🪭

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