Startups

This couple is moving to the Bay Area for better odds of tech success

“Yes, it’s a numbers game,” wrote marketer Angie Hilem. “Why shouldn’t we go where the numbers are in our favor?”

Nick and Angie Hilem and their late dog, Sid, in the summer of 2012. (Photo by Neal Santos)

Nick and Angie Hilem think it might be Philly that’s holding them back.
“There’s more to what we want in life than can be achieved here,” Angie Hilem wrote in a Medium post entitled “The Hilems are Leaving Philadelphia.” They’re headed west.
Angie Hilem started her own marketing agency after leaving makerspace NextFab around this time last year. She said it’s been hard to find local customers, despite her network. Engineer Nick Hilem worked at Artisan Mobile and most recently at Mike Krupit’s IntroNet, as CTO. He just got a job at Google.
When it comes down to it, they’re leaving Philadelphia because the odds of success are just better in the tech hub that is the Bay Area.
“Yes, it’s a numbers game,” she wrote. “Why shouldn’t we go where the numbers are in our favor?”
Read the full post
The Hilems’ departure underscores the point that Philly can’t compete if someone wants to work at a tech giant like Google or Facebook. We’ve seen that from technologists who have left for the West Coast for precisely that reason. What would it take for Comcast to position itself as an alternative?

Companies: IntroNet / Google
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Donate to the Journalism Fund

Your support powers our independent journalism. Unlike most business-media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational contributions.

Trending

This indie site helps Philly riders fight back against SEPTA service cuts

State-run immigrant support offices are stuck in limbo across the mid-Atlantic

Sandbox VR opens its Philly location to bring together gamers IRL 

Don’t miss 1Philadelphia’s events during Philly Tech Week 2025 presented by Comcast

Technically Media