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Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

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Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#31

Post by harperlee »

zerr wrote: post #7

The city is good but I can't get how people live there with such low salaries (20K-45K). This is in tech. I don't want to think about what people make in other areas (humanities?)...

Of course it is all relative to you cost of living, but this is slightly better where you are part of the solution, and not part of the problem, meaning: if you are on a tech company, and you bring in the money, you will command a higher wage; whereas if you are working in a bank / telco / doing ERP software in a "carnica" (cheap sweatshop outsourcing company), and the executives think you are a "necessary evil", just a cost center, you will be paid less. This happens in every place; but Spain doesn't have a lot of Google/Apple/Facebook/Amazon/Microsoft kind of companies to push the talent demand upwards (so talented people try to leave the country).

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#32

Post by Symbiote »

tjr225 wrote: post #29
francamps wrote: post #19

Hello. Barcelona native here, lived and worked for years in the NY tech scene and now I am in London, although I go back to Barcelona often, and I'm seriously considering moving back. (I don't know the situation in Madrid well enough). Here are my points: On the one hand, the tech ecosystem is clearly not as strong as Berlin/London or even Paris, and the average engineer salary is _low_. That also might mean there is…

There was a moment during my wife and I's honeymoon to Mallorca/Barcelona where I was jogging through Gracia and I truly thought that this was where I was meant to live. A really...really beautiful and amazing city. Once my two huge dogs pass(I can't bear the thought of moving them overseas) I will try my darnedest to move to Catalonia.

If you didn't want to wait, and if the problem is the flight, you could take the QE2 ship from New York to Southampton with your dogs. Unless they're particularly huge.

From Portsmouth harbour (30 minutes from Southampton docks) there are ferries to Santander or Bilbao in Spain, which also allow pets.

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#33

Post by wikibob »

harperlee wrote: post #27

Tech salaries in Spain are not higher than for other sectors, as the tech sector is still very small, and most jobs are inside "cost centers" of other companies (banks, telcos, etc.). A typical (good!) staring salary would be 25k for Madrid or 20k for Barcelona. In contrast you'd see 40k in Paris or Berlin for a similar job. It's typical to have 14 monthly payments (with extra payment in July/August and Christmas), s…

Thank you for writing such a well considered summary, particularly addressing both sides of issues like language and the unusual economic split of large & small companies. In these HN discussions about the tech industry in various cities there have been too many comments that are entirely one-sided pro or con.

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#34

Post by kgwgk »

pvaldes wrote: post #28
no1youknowz wrote: post #10

> considering moving to Spain for non-career-related reasons Which are? Genuinely interested why someone would consider taking a huge cut in salary. Instead of moving now. Why not slash your current expenses to the bone? Save like crazy for a year, then move with a nice bank balance and ease yourself into the country without the stresses of quickly learning the language, making good friends, networking, etc. Even bet…

> Genuinely interested why someone would consider taking a huge cut in salary. Friendly people; easier life; excelent food; nobody shooting you at the shool; Wyoming winters; no coyotes, alligators or snapping turtles trying to dinner on you or your pet, swimming at the sea in april... Oh, and there is the universal, excelent and almost free healthcare also. I forgot it.

Free as in paid with your high taxes (30% income tax on a 80k salary and 21% value added tax when you spend your after-tax money).

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#35

Post by harperlee »

wikibob wrote: post #33
harperlee wrote: post #27

Tech salaries in Spain are not higher than for other sectors, as the tech sector is still very small, and most jobs are inside "cost centers" of other companies (banks, telcos, etc.). A typical (good!) staring salary would be 25k for Madrid or 20k for Barcelona. In contrast you'd see 40k in Paris or Berlin for a similar job. It's typical to have 14 monthly payments (with extra payment in July/August and Christmas), s…

Thank you for writing such a well considered summary, particularly addressing both sides of issues like language and the unusual economic split of large & small companies. In these HN discussions about the tech industry in various cities there have been too many comments that are entirely one-sided pro or con.

You're welcome! I have gotten so much value and entertainment from HN over the year that I'm very happy to give back when I have the opportunity, so please ask if you need me to expand on anything :)

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#37

Post by kh_hk »

pvaldes wrote: post #2

> will likely involve a pay cut in absolute terms. In absolute terms, but take in mind that life in Spain can be much less expensive than living in Berlin or Paris. It depends on the area and the job. > I'm currently functional in Spanish but I have a long way to go until fluency. That's one of my goals in moving to Spain Madrid is the right option then. Has worst climate with more hot in summer and colder in winter,…

Something interesting is that in Madrid you need Spanish to survive, compared to Barcelona where most people (at least on tech circles) can speak English fluently. So yes, if it's for Spanish fluency, definitely Madrid.

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#38

Post by exelius »

farresito wrote: post #9
pvaldes wrote: post #2

> will likely involve a pay cut in absolute terms. In absolute terms, but take in mind that life in Spain can be much less expensive than living in Berlin or Paris. It depends on the area and the job. > I'm currently functional in Spanish but I have a long way to go until fluency. That's one of my goals in moving to Spain Madrid is the right option then. Has worst climate with more hot in summer and colder in winter,…

Regarding the language, I don't think Catalan is much of an issue, to be honest. If you talk in Spanish, you get an answer in Spanish. I would say that the climate and the city are well worth it, but I am of course biased, since I live in Barcelona.

Depends on the Spanish ;) I saw a barista ask a Colombian couple to speak in English because Catalan was his native language and he couldn't understand their accent.

I do get the feeling, at least in Barcelona, that the preference is Catalan > English > Spanish. I've only visited as a tourist though; so I don't know how much of that carries over to the business world.

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#39

Post by barking »

Symbiote wrote: post #32
tjr225 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a moment during my wife and I's honeymoon to Mallorca/Barcelona where I was jogging through Gracia and I truly thought that this was where I was meant to live. A really...really beautiful and amazing city. Once my two huge dogs pass(I can't bear the thought of moving them overseas) I will try my darnedest to move to Catalonia.

If you didn't want to wait, and if the problem is the flight, you could take the QE2 ship from New York to Southampton with your dogs. Unless they're particularly huge. From Portsmouth harbour (30 minutes from Southampton docks) there are ferries to Santander or Bilbao in Spain, which also allow pets.

>you could take the QE2 ship from New York to Southampton

I thought that was a thing of the past!

http://www.queenmarycruises.net/queen-mary-transatlantic-sch...

Re: Ask HN: What are the Madrid and Barcelona tech scenes like?

#40

Post by gfiorav »

Hola!

Madrid native here.

The scene is growing and it's exciting. I work at carto.com, and there are plenty other like it (growing startups). If you want to visit our offices, hit me up at @gfioravantti and I'll give you a tour!

Salaries are low but quality of life is top notch

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