Why Steve Case thinks 2017 will be a big year for the rise of the rest

To be fair, Steve Case is big on what he calls the “rise of the rest” (increased tech innovation and investment in cities outside San Francisco and New York) every year. Hence his tour.

But in a section (section 31, to be exact) of a LinkedIn post titled “The 50 big ideas for 2017,” which he later republished to Medium, Case argues that 2017 is the year when this trend will “accelerate.”

Why? Well, among three reasons he pinpoints, one is the recent election. “The election was a wake-up call,” Case writes. “It brought to light the lack of opportunity in places often disregarded by the tech and business communities.”

It’s an idea that Village Capital CEO Ross Baird recently highlighted too, in a guest post for Technical.ly.

“I expect more investors and tech leaders to start paying attention to what is happening in other parts of the country in the coming year,” Case continues. “And in doing so, the barriers to entry will be lowered for all entrepreneurs, regardless of background or geography.”

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