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Why these startup founders love building in Seattle

GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . From top left, clockwise: Stronghold Labs CEO Pete Schwab; Variata co-founder James Lee; Casium CEO Priyanka Kulkarni; Exia Labs CEO Jon Pan; Vercept CEO Kiana Ehsani; and Read AI CEO David Shim. There are a lot of advantages to building a startup in Seattle. That's the word from founders we interviewed Wednesday evening at a startup showcase event hosted as part of Seattle Tech Week. We asked what they like about being a startup founder in Seattle. Here's what they had to say: 'There's less noise. People want to get stuff done. People want to put in the work. They pick something and they commit. It makes it easier to build and recruit.' — David Shim, CEO and co-founder of Read AI 'We can build in a more quiet, focused environment than the Bay Area. And there's a lot of talent. It's very underrated.' — Kiana Ehsani, CEO and co-founder of Vercept 'The community here is super welcoming. There's very little attitude. Everybody, up-and-down the ladder, has been willing to listen.' — Pete Schwab, CEO and co-founder of Stronghold Labs 'We're so close to Joint Base Lewis-McCord. That's a really unique benefit for defense companies in Seattle.' — Jon Pan, CEO and co-founder of Exia Labs 'Seattle has the right energy. It's a blend of excitement and pragmatism.' — James Lee, co-founder at Variata 'Seattle is home to some of the brightest people. I love the energy. It has been home to some really great companies — and we're going to be the next one.' — Priyanka Kulkarni, CEO and co-founder at Casium Audiori, a new Seattle startup, pitches at the Seattle Startup Showcase on Wednesday at the Showbox Market. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) Seattle's elite technical talent and cultural humility were themes in our story this week on the state of Seattle's startup ecosystem in the AI era. But our reporting also showed that there is concern about the region's risk-averse culture, the lack of local capital, and government policy. Generally, though, the vibe is optimistic. 'I am very, very, very bullish on Seattle, particularly in the AI space,' said Pioneer Square Labs Managing Director Greg Gottesman, speaking at another Seattle Tech Week event on Tuesday. Related coverage: Related stories about the companies mentioned above: