Santa Barbara is far from well-known when it comes to 'startup hotspots.' Instead, places like SF or NYC come to mind. But, tucked between the Santa Ynez mountains, Santa Barbara has increasingly become a force in the deep-tech and health-tech spaces. From big names like Sonos and Procore to recent Series A startups like Quintessent Inc and OpenLight: there is a huge mix of companies located here. Plenty of unicorn success stories combined with dozens of new teams continuing to build in Santa Barbara make for a great area to connect with fellow founders or find advisors to learn from. And considering the proximity to beautiful beaches and well-maintained hiking trails at which to spend breaks at: it makes building a startup here a very attractive prospect.

However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows (actually, it might literally be in Santa Barbara). Starting a company here comes with some visible drawbacks. First, the cost of living. It's around 50 to 78% [source] more expensive to live in Santa Barbara than the national average cost of living. Although, compared to the California average, it's only 19-27% higher (still obviously not good). The biggest costs are housing and food, of course, which can add up incredibly fast. And daily life in Santa Barbara has a way of getting the money flowing if you aren't careful. Two methods to save significantly in terms of living costs in sharing a house and rarely going out to eat. As most founders do, sharing a rent with 3 or 4 other roommates (perhaps your co-founders) makes the cost of housing much more manageable. And something as simple-sounding as buying your own groceries can actually make living in SB quite affordable. The "ramen founder" lifestyle is still possible here (just with a side of waves and mountains).

This brings us to the second fault when it comes to building a startup in Santa Barbara: the pace of life and community environment. There is an ease or relaxation when it comes to daily life that most people experience when they visit, which is great if you are retired or already set for life. But for someone who is seeking to change the world or build something great, this shared mindset can corrode the hustle culture that makes places like SF or NYC so great. Hold on though: this does not immediately make SB a bad place to build a startup, instead it calls founders to find a close community of people who think similarly. Co-working spaces (like Sandbox) or sharing a house with other founders can transform the Santa Barbara experience. If you can find these connections, Santa Barbara can absolutely be one the top choices when deciding where to launch.

When past founder, Kevin O'Connor (Graphiq) was asked about why he chose to found a company in SB, he stated, "where else can I walk down to the beach and surf for lunch? This climate, this landscape is unbeatable". The landscape and environment is frequently cited as a reason for choosing SB as home for many founders, and they certainly have a point.

And Santa Barbara does not stop there. There are not many communities in the U.S. that have as many successful individuals, resources for founders, access to venture capital, and if you know where to look: an incredible community of like-minded founders, that SB has. Talent pools in Santa Barbara almost never dry up either due to the proximity to both UCSB and Westmont who frequently produce talented and technical graduates. This can make early stage hiring amplitudes easier and stress-free.

From a quality of life standpoint, Santa Barbara clears pretty much any other startup location. When considering other factors, it really depends on what you as an individual are looking for. If frugality and insane work hours are your jam, maybe it isn't the right place. But if you are looking for a place with a strong 'work hard, play hard' culture— you've found it. Santa Barbara could be the spot to build.