Startups have seemingly never been more popular, particularly in the U.S. Perhaps there’s something in the American spirit that appeals to striking out on your own, or perhaps it’s that Internet connectivity and cloud computing have theoretically made it possible to create and grow scalable businesses from most anywhere. Investors like Steve Case and Brad Feld are betting on companies outside Silicon Valley, predicting that “the rise of the rest” will geographically level the entrepreneurial playing field and make startup communities more prevalent throughout the country.