LETTER

Small entrepreneurs may lose out in Washington

Posted

Over the past few years, Minnesota has become an undeniable hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. Many technology companies have continued to make investments here, growing their presence in the state and hiring locally.
Our startup ecosystem is expanding too. We’re home to the Minnesota Cup, the largest statewide startup competition in the country. Since its founding in 2005, the contest has raised millions of dollars and helped thousands of founders. And last year, Inc. Magazine ranked the Twin Cities as one of the best places in America to start a business.
It has been exciting to be part of this growth. We have a strong and supportive community of developers and entrepreneurs, and the ideas exchange between those of us pushing the boundaries here in the Twin Cities is invaluable.
While the presence of developers and innovators continues to grow here in Minnesota, tech policy issues – particularly related to app stores – remain hot button topics in Washington. In the coming months, I would encourage lawmakers to proceed with caution. When government attempts to get between billion-dollar companies, as we’re seeing during the active Epic v. Apple courtroom battle, it’s the smaller developers and entrepreneurs who lose out at the end of the day. Significant changes to the landscape that Minnesota’s developer community is thriving in today could disrupt innovation and slow our growth.
Sincerely,
Eric Harris

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