Build Order’s second City Deep Dive takes us to Lansing, Michigan.
We first noticed Lansing while researching America’s state capitals. It has what we called the floor and the flywheel: the durable institutional base of a capital city, paired with one of the nation’s largest research universities. On paper, that’s the kind of combination that has propelled cities like Austin and Raleigh onto the national stage.
But strong ingredients don’t automatically produce growth.
So we wanted to understand whether Lansing is simply a stable government and automotive town in the Midwest… or whether it’s quietly assembling the pieces of a future economy.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clearer way to think about Lansing as a growth platform, and understand why one of America’s overlooked capital cities may be worth watching, even if its biggest chapters haven’t been written yet.
You can listen to this episode on all your favorite platforms: Substack, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, and Overcast.
This episode is brought to you by Datacloud USA, the premier deal-making event bringing over 3,000 top decision makers across data centers, hyperscalers, energy, finance, and the public sector to Austin from September 2-3, 2026.
Join Lauren and Jen there by using code BUILDORDER10 for 10% off your pass.
Chapter descriptions:
00:00:06 – Why Lansing surprised us
00:01:13 – Lansing’s improbable origin story
00:04:24 – The three forces that define Lansing
00:06:27 – Can Lansing keep its Michigan State talent?
00:12:32 – Beyond the government: Lansing’s next economy
00:15:05 – The companies that put Lansing on the map
00:18:35 – Can Michigan State build the next Neogen?
00:21:18 – Why housing isn’t getting built
00:26:52 – Does Lansing have room to grow?
00:29:04 – The politics of data centers and EV batteries
00:37:06 – Lansing’s strengths, risks, and biggest opportunities
00:42:02 – Would we live, build, or invest in Lansing?
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