Myanmar. This country just transitioned from a military government to a democratic one and is opening up the market. Right now, they only have 5 million cell phone penetration. The government plans to have 80% mobile penetration by 2015 which means more than 40 million people will be online. Lots of low hanging fruits here. I am actually from Myanmar (been in US for 7 years) and I am going back tomorrow to start a company.
Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
41–50 of 84 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#42Hacker News, Quora, etc are supportive of entrepreneurship - that is your support and mentorship network. Incorporate in a low-tax low-regulation business-friendly jurisdiction like Singapore, bank in stable country like Switzerland and live/work wherever you like. Consider the 5 flags-theory for web-based business: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_traveler
Nice in theory, hard in practice. Especially if you're doing a startup and not a lifestyle or small business. Edit: Ridiculous how people downvote. I've researched this area more than most and the flags theory just doesn't fit most startups as the core concept is having your tax residence and company in different countries. The only case I know of where it did or could have worked is Skype.
Agreed, ideas like that sound great on paper but just don't translate to real life in most instances.
And I encourage anyone dreaming about working abroad to go and try it for at least a month before making a big commitment.
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#43I can vouch for Montreal.. pretty sick entrepreneurship culture.
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#44Five years ago I quit working for other people and started working for myself. At the same time, we decided to start traveling, to get a better idea of other cultures for our products (which are internationalized) and to see if we found a place we liked to stay. First off, one thing you notice, once you get out of the USA, is how much of a bubble the USA is in. The perspective given by US news sources, for instance,…
It's not that the countries won't welcome you, it's that the US punishes them for it. (At least as it comes to bank accounts.) This makes a foreign bank account a bit of a prized possession for Americans.
I know that some countries (particularly some of the post-Soviet ones) make it a criminal offense to have a foreign bank account, but I thought that for the US it's just a question of sending in an extra IRS form. Or is it not?
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#45I'm in the process to make one here in Spain. It is hard, yes it is. I like it because Barcelona is a great central point, full of foreigners who embrace english and all kind of european cultures as well latin america. What I am looking for? an american partner. It will be good for various reasons as I think startups should be done.
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
What about South Africa? Well-developed legal system 4G network and high speed internet Existing support structures, especially for funding And one of the most beautiful cities with plenty of sun & sand in Cape Town.
I've never been to SA, but from what I've read, the high crime rate is a bit deterring.
Not really an issue if you live in the right areas, in my experience. Cape Town in particular is quite safe as long as you don't go into the townships (like Rio's favelas).
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
What about South Africa? Well-developed legal system 4G network and high speed internet Existing support structures, especially for funding And one of the most beautiful cities with plenty of sun & sand in Cape Town.
I've never been to SA, but from what I've read, the high crime rate is a bit deterring.
Crime is an issue but shouldn't be a complete deterrent. The political environment is a bigger concern scares people off. The BEE/indiginization issues are very real and should be considered.
With that said, I would live in Cape Town in a heartbeat, great food, culture, people etc.
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#48I'm betting on Canada now. Beats Russland hands down.
Vancouver? Not in the winter, unless you're crazy about skiing :)
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#49Five years ago I quit working for other people and started working for myself. At the same time, we decided to start traveling, to get a better idea of other cultures for our products (which are internationalized) and to see if we found a place we liked to stay. First off, one thing you notice, once you get out of the USA, is how much of a bubble the USA is in. The perspective given by US news sources, for instance,…
What a great response. This should be expanded into a blog post.
Re: Ask HN: If you could start a start-up anywhere in the world
#50How about Toronto, Canada?
http://blog.hypejar.com/post/42478443633/tech-alley-torontos...