Avoiding the Density Mentality

I got a backhanded message from an urban colleague this week that I'll chalk up to a lesson.

Here's the story:  I was grateful to get a cleanroom referral from a more urban county colleague this week.  The person exchanged the entirety of an e-mail thread that included the notion that the Port Authority "is no longer in the middle of cow pastures."

Though the person may argue that the phrase was intended as a natural way to let the urban-oriented prospect know that, surprisingly, we have high tech operations in Licking County, it clearly reminded me of something that I've preached my whole career--innovation knows no population density.

I've been all over Ohio, and I know there is a density mentality that should be avoided. Urban areas look down their noses at suburbs, but we in the suburbs can tend to do the same to our more rural counterparts.  It's a trap that should be  avoided. 

If we underestimate people merely on how many people live per square mile in their community, we do so at our loss.  No one should be that dense.

Plus, proudly, there actually is a cow pasture not too far away from our clean room space.