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Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

flyingcarcomputer.com

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Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#21

Post by markus92 »

overstay8930 wrote: post #5

People are going to point out flaws or loopholes they know about that would be even easier, but they’re missing the point: it was not possible for someone genuinely in the process of launching a product to find out. My side business was a small tool which was just a 3d printed case with an ESP32 I programmed w/ some small electronics and I sold it as is online. US + local government made sure there was zero friction…

Can you name an example of someone being shut down cus of that in Germany (or anywhere else in the EU really)? I honestly can't think of a single regulation that would apply in the EU and not apply in the US for some reason or another for this use case.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#22

Post by fuzzfactor »

snowpid wrote: post #19
fuzzfactor wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's almost like free enterprise is one of the scariest things to those who would much prefer bureaucracy & monarchy.

so the American president can prosecuted for crime he or she did during the presidency? ;)

Good call, the US probably has more fans of future monarchy than Europe has nostalgia for lost royalty.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#23

Post by snowpid »

fuzzfactor wrote: post #22
snowpid wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so the American president can prosecuted for crime he or she did during the presidency? ;)

Good call, the US probably has more fans of future monarchy than Europe has nostalgia for lost royalty.

I'm pretty sure there is no nostalgia in Germany about royalty.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#25

Post by piva00 »

throwaway55110 wrote: post #15
ktosobcy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Europe (and especially my home Germany) Europe/EU is not Germany… and Germany is infamous for it's dumb redtape and being stuck in "their ways" (if it works then it works then there is no need to change that" seems to be a proverb there, inni't?) Besides - in majority of the countries you have to navigate the laws… either yourself or you get an expert/lawyer that does that for you o_O

I did business in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia and Sweden. It was a total shitshow, and I moved it all to UK, which is much better (especially the gov.uk site is a godsend).

What exactly was a shitshow in Sweden? So far in my experience it's quite a breeze to start and run a business here.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#26

Post by Symbiote »

M2Ys4U wrote: post #17
Symbiote wrote: post #11

> In addition, the marketing is currently only in English, which is not the primary language of any EU country. Sorry Ireland...

And Malta

I wanted to be fair to Malta, so seeing this on Wikipedia:

> A study collecting public opinion on what language was "preferred" discovered that 86 percent of the population preferred Maltese, 12 percent English, and 2 percent Italian.

I thought that although English is an official language, it isn't really the primary one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta#Languages

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#27

Post by Ylpertnodi »

markus92 wrote: post #16

What does the author mean here when referring to customs when shipping products from within the EU to other EU countries? The EU has a customs union... The VAT per country can be a bit of a pain but is a solved problem (Shopify, Amazon, can all take care of it easily).

I stopped purchasing from the US as the vat gets collected - has to be in cash - by the delivery drivers. Now, i just sweep through the EU various countries (not you, UK [I do so enjoy HP sauce...no more]) to get the best deal, and get charged vat up front.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#28

Post by throwaway55110 »

piva00 wrote: post #25
throwaway55110 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did business in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia and Sweden. It was a total shitshow, and I moved it all to UK, which is much better (especially the gov.uk site is a godsend).

What exactly was a shitshow in Sweden? So far in my experience it's quite a breeze to start and run a business here.

As everywhere else in EU (and unlike the UK), filling taxes and registering employees for all the necessary insurances and gov agencies becomes an extreme burden as soon as you go beyond just one person / the simplest business transactions. It's a fulltime job even if the company is still very small and just doesn't have the resources to hire a fulltime dedicated person.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#29

Post by nicbou »

ktosobcy wrote: post #14
nicbou wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct. On the other hand, Europe (and especially my home Germany) tend to be really bad at navigating people through the laws and regulations they create. Laypeople are left to figure out what the laws are, what they mean, how to follow them, where to get the required certifications etc. My first year of running a simple business in Germany was unbelievably confusing. My only saving grace was that none of those law…

> Europe (and especially my home Germany) Europe/EU is not Germany… and Germany is infamous for it's dumb redtape and being stuck in "their ways" (if it works then it works then there is no need to change that" seems to be a proverb there, inni't?) Besides - in majority of the countries you have to navigate the laws… either yourself or you get an expert/lawyer that does that for you o_O

My point is that the UX of running a business in Europe is not great. Germany is worse, but the EU is not great either.

Re: Strategy for EU Bootstrapping Hardware Startups: Don't Sell to Anyone in EU

#30

Post by ktosobcy »

throwaway55110 wrote: post #28
piva00 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exactly was a shitshow in Sweden? So far in my experience it's quite a breeze to start and run a business here.

As everywhere else in EU (and unlike the UK), filling taxes and registering employees for all the necessary insurances and gov agencies becomes an extreme burden as soon as you go beyond just one person / the simplest business transactions. It's a fulltime job even if the company is still very small and just doesn't have the resources to hire a fulltime dedicated person.

Uhm... usually if you go beyond 1 person then you get someone to handle all the paperwork and this applies to almost all countries... In case of Poland it's not all that expensive either, especially if it takes off of you the burden...
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