How long do you usually wait for a web page to load? Seven seconds … 10 seconds at the most, right? Research shows that visitors start getting frustrated at just four seconds. These are the norms of our personal and professional lives — we are living in a world where seconds can make the difference between getting the sale or not, attracting capital or not, and creating new jobs or not.
 
This is why direct flights between Indianapolis and San Francisco are such a big deal. The people trying to do business at both ends of this new route are some of the very people responsible for our chronic impatience, (along with billion dollar new markets and innovations that have literally changed the way the world communicates and shops). As tech pioneer Scott Jones has been saying for years, if the CEO of a tech giant, a talent recruiter or venture capitalist can fly in and fly out of Indianapolis for a single day trip, there is a much higher likelihood of that trip happening compared to destinations that require two or three days away from their own offices.
 
We asked TechPoint President and CEO Mike Langellier what he thought were the biggest takeaways from today's announcement by United Airlines and Governor Pence.
 
Here's his list:
  1. High-growth startup companies are the biggest job creators.
  2. Most high-growth startups are tech companies.
  3. Access to capital, customers, and talent (including employees/builders, media and influencers) are the lifeblood of startups.
  4. Direct flights between Indy and San fran equal more of all of the above.

Of course it's not just about startups, but that definitely is where most of the job growth is coming from, and since this has been framed in the announcement below as an economic development story, it's easy to see why Langellier's list focuses on the job creators.


Why do direct flights between Indianapolis and San Francisco matter to you? Share your list in the comments below.


Indy Lands Direct Flight to San Francisco
as seen on Inside Indiana Business

United Airlines has confirmed it will begin nonstop service from Indianapolis International Airport to San Francisco International Airport in January. Governor Mike Pence says the new route should help the state maximize opportunities for economic development and benefit companies and communities throughout Indiana. The business community, especially the technology sector in Indianapolis, has spent years trying to secure a direct flight to San Francisco.  FULL STORY