Europe is now a corporate also-ran. Can it recover its footing?

Post by kortilla » Sat, Jun 12, 2021, 6:46 AM UTC

thijsc wrote: post #168

reader_mode wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is a thriving tech scene in Europe and we do quite well! Is there really ? I see attempts at copying the US tech scene, but a lot of it seems structured to suck money out of government funds and programs. I see very little private investment. Just recently I talked to a local VC, in a casual chat about how they started their fund I found out they pulled money out of a EU fund, they had to put up like 25% of t…

I totally agree with you that the EU's efforts to replicate a SV style startup ecosystem are misguided and ineffective. The comment however was about the EU not being a good place to start a business. Personally I ignore all that stuff you mentioned. We just focus on building a good product. And the EU is a great place for that. I have many acquaintances that have built a multi-million euro business in the last decad…

Post by refurb » Sat, Jun 12, 2021, 6:46 AM UTC

jamil7 wrote: post #228

coldtea wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the low work ethic, the 8 weeks of vacation every month (I exaggerate, slightly) I'd say we better keep our lifestyles and worldviews and be corporate also-runs, than be slaves also-run-by-corporations like the US.

This thread is full of people explaining that Europeans are lazy and unproductive workers lacking ambition based on anecdotes of completely normal occurrences like an employee taking a vacation.

Post by refurb » Sat, Jun 12, 2021, 6:48 AM UTC

poopypoopington wrote: post #129

238475235243 wrote: post #43

I've lived in a few different parts of the EU, and couldn't imagine a worse idea than starting a company there (which I did, once). Starting is hard enough without the general negative attitudes, the government insanities, the insane taxes, the low work ethic, the 8 weeks of vacation every month (I exaggerate, slightly). And I was in one of the two best EU countries, God only knows how bad it is in Spain or Italy or…

Lack of national healthcare really puts a damper on free labor movement in the US. You want to start a company but also have health insurance for your family? That'll be $12,000 with a massive deductible... Gets in the way of a lot of would be entrepreneurs

Post by andruby » Sat, Jun 12, 2021, 6:50 AM UTC

rsj_hn wrote: post #242

onion2k wrote: post #163

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Why should society optimize for how easy it is to start a business?

Because societies that promote innovation have higher quality of life and bless the entire world with technological advancement, while their own population benefits from lower prices, more goods, productivity growth, more jobs, more opportunity, and more fairness. It's strange how quick people are to condemn monopolies and yet in the same breath insist that starting businesses is not a social good. Of course it's a s…

Post by kortilla » Sat, Jun 12, 2021, 6:51 AM UTC

oblio wrote: post #192

deertick1 wrote: post #127

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I have a really hard time believing theres higher quality talent in Europe in general.

Why? The EU has a higher population than the US and it has many top notch universities. Europe tends to lose many of its tech talents to the US, but if you pay comparable salaries you'll keep them.