A love for disruptive media is core to my DNA. I recall the day that a Japanese company brought one of the first computer controlled laser video discs to Peachtree Software in 1981, and I saw there the potential of what was then beginning to be called “multimedia.” The 80s were an era when this technology was used primarily for interactive training, and Steve Roden (who later joined me at Comsell) did some of the great pioneering work in that area. However, to me the better potential was in the use of the disc as an image storage medium. That gave rise to a number of new, more immersive applications ranging from real estate to travel.

Keep in mind this was all before our former Vice President invented the Internet, and everything we did in the 80s on laser disc and then in the early 90s on CD-ROM was quickly supplanted by the capabilities of the Net. All the work we did worrying about interlaced images on analog media and various codecs on digital media ultimately was for naught. But, as you may have read in my previous post about touring the local computer collection, each such effort in technology did leave behind some value for subsequent platforms. Much of what we did in the area of UI, for example, still lives in many Web applications.

In those days, (not to sound too Biblical) Atlanta was a crossroads for much of the advancement of the computing industry. We had the world’s largest software company (MSA), the modem standard (Hayes) and many other companies whose innovations were important for the industry. There was a spring Comdex in Atlanta that for many years brought the luminaries and the new ideas to our doorstep. Make no mistake, it feels great when your startup community is a magnet for the world of technology. I can tell you firsthand that the excitement in the air actually translates to meaningful advancements and innovation. This boom continued through the 90s... I think it’s fair to say we rode the Dot-com bubble pretty well with some major wins, the creation of an Internet security cluster and solidification of leadership in other areas like transactional processing. Not that I didn’t still spend a good bit of time in the Valley on various deals, but we had a lot going for us here.

Then, the world changed. Technology began to reinvent itself faster and cheaper with each cycle at rates of improvement unseen. So fast were these changes, almost every notion of what works and who was in control became topsy-turvy. For many reasons, Atlanta chose to ignore the macro trends occurring during this time that led to the creation of the Consumer Internet. Silicon Valley did not. The last 10 years have seen fantastic wealth creation around Google, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and many others. The disruption worked. The great consumer experiment was a resounding success. Even better, it’s starting all over again with the proliferation of smart mobile devices powered by the cloud and crowd. So now we’re seeing a new wave of creativity and investment in Real Time Data (RTD) and Location Based Services (LBS) from a new crop of promising companies like Groupon, Gowalla, Foursquare, SimpleGeo, Shopkick and so many more...

Yet, Atlanta remains on the sidelines even as the epicenter of consumer technology (and wealth creation) is expanding its Valley tentacles to include New York, Boulder, Chicago and Austin. And while Atlanta does have a strong gaming community, we are better known in consumer tech circles as the epicenter of brain drain. Our excellent schools and incubators are producing talented engineers and designers that (will) have significant impact in this space, but most will do so without a local address. We’ve already seen some of our most prominent young entrepreneurs transplant themselves to where the action is.

If you tweet, you may have followed the adventures of 17-year-old Matt Smith from Peachtree City who (thanks to the help of our generous sponsor AirTran and many individual readers) went to San Francisco last weekend for a teenager-focused technology conference. During this trip, he also managed to get into AppNation thanks to Jeff Hilimire and even to wrangle a tour of Apple. (You should follow his adventures in detail @mattstech.) It was a joy to read his wonderment, and it reminded me that having an insatiable curiosity is the cost of entry for my profession. It’s the same excitement I saw in the 80s and 90s here. It’s the same joy that leads to the invention of better technology.

It’s time for my confession. I too believe the Consumer Internet (and mobile) is where the action is... Still infected with the new media bug, I now find my co-founders and I working on a new startup (recently funded and in stealth mode) that will be globally competitive in the multi-device worlds of RTD and LBS, while adding something hugely disruptive to the mix. I feel so strong about the potential of this company, I plan to do whatever it takes to maximize our success. But even with my strong ties to local investors, I can see the hometown hurdles that will make it harder to achieve scale quickly in the consumer arena.

So, there arises the question of whether we should relocate our company. If we want to make a significant “dent in the universe,” our chances go up measurably by being in the swing of things. Yet If we stay, we do benefit from our deep relationships with the Atlanta startup community. This is a real dilemma for our team, and one of many you face with your startups. The only advice I can give you is never squander your opportunities for pride. You will live to regret it.

Our CEO, Heath Wilkes, often uses the term “of the now” – and the applications we are developing certainly fit that criterion. I attend plenty of venture séances and angel meetings, and there I see too many deals “of the past.” And to be candid, I want to be in the middle of the action again. (That’s a gentle push to tell the town I love it’s time to get your act together.) Whether we go or not, one of the biggest secrets of life is you got to stay on the move. Atlanta included.

My potential travel plans do not come without some penalty. I’ve only missed two Georgia Tech home football games in 44 years and would hate to break my string, but the opportunity cost of my attendance record may be too great going forward. So begins a new adventure. Comments are welcome, but please no “good riddance” if that is your feeling. And, in any case, I’ll be back...