High-Tech Meets High Altitude. Entrepreneurs take advantage of business and lifestyle in Bozeman, Montana

A few months ago, I saw a cow aimlessly wandering among the cars in the Gap parking lot. The irony of the picture seemed to illustrate perfectly the crux of why so many high-tech entrepreneurs are moving to Montana.

The life of a tech entrepreneur is grueling. At first, the entrepreneur is faced with every responsibility, from managing the books to developing the technology. Fourteen-hour days are common. Then there’s the significant amount of risk an entrepreneur assumes. This causes considerable stress, but many entrepreneurs like to balance that intensity with the equally intense outdoor activities Montana offers. “Being an entrepreneur is intense,” says Jen Boulden, owner of Ideal Bite http://www.idealbite.com/ , a Bozeman-based internet technology company. “I need to live somewhere that will allow me to participate in an equally intense outdoor pursuit, balancing the stress that comes from working extremely long days. Montana is that place.”

By John O’Donnell of TechRanch http://www.techranch.org/

Full Story: http://www.outsidebozeman.com/magazine.php?action=fullArticle&articleID=771

( Many thanks to Andra Spurr for passing this article along. Russ)