# What Building in Austin Actually Feels Like Right Now | Will Johnson & Alex Cohen

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/austin-next/what-building-in-austin-actually-feels-like-right-now-will-johnson-alex-cohen
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/austin-next/what-building-in-austin-actually-feels-like-right-now-will-johnson-alex-cohen.md
Podcast: [Austin Next](https://stenobird.com/podcast/austin-next)
Published: 2026-04-29T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b27ba4a8
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/b27ba4a8/8a6efb04.mp3
Processing state: processed
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/austin-next/episodes/what-building-in-austin-actually-feels-like-right-now-will-johnson-alex-cohen
Duration seconds: 4306

## Resource

This was not the episode we planned. Will Johnson, founder and CEO of Gyde, and Alex Cohen, founder and CEO of Hello Patient, came on to talk about innovation in the business of health. Instead it became our off the record conversations, but behind the microphone. An unfiltered field report on what it actually feels like to build a startup in Austin right now. The talent math, hunting for mid-size office space, the venture culture, Austin vs Miami, the press gap, and the political friction. All of it from two founders who chose this city, are hiring here, and are naming what needs to change because they want it to work. Agenda 0:00 Why Alex and Will chose Austin 5:17 The engineering talent gap 14:10 Who gets hired and the conference hustle 20:58 Miami, Palantir, and competing for wins 26:02 What SF's venture culture has that Austin is still building 32:58 Operator density problem and the office gap 41:05 Why selling to Main Street works better from Austin 50:16 More storytellers needed 59:16 SXSW's decline 1:05:18 King of Austin for a day Guest Links and Bios Alex Cohen: X/Twitter, LinkedIn , Hello Patient Will Johnson: X/Twitter , LinkedIn , Gyde ------------------- Austin Next Links: Website , X/Twitter , YouTube , LinkedIn Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

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## Transcript

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