Live data from Hacker News

Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

medium.com

111–120 of 122 posts

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#111
post #16

Dresden is even better. I moved from Houston, TX to Dresden and I'm very happy with my choice. Technically it's more interesting, as the University and high tech companies here are much more advanced (i.e the l4 microkernel is from here), prices are the same, and Dresden is a much more beautiful town than ugly Berlin. Lots of English speaking foreigners, and people are more friendly. For startup's there's only one or…

> Dresden is a much more beautiful town than ugly Berlin. That is certainly subjective (and offensive). I have not been to Dresden but I found Berlin to be quite an interesting aesthetic environment and hardly sore on the eyes. It has huge, lovely green parks and I find the wide open spaces throughout the town rather refreshing.

He's probably talking about the side of Berlin that used to be under DDR rule. It's no secret, and certainly not offensive, to say that architecture during the Iron Curtain days was pretty horrible.

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to check, you've seen this? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12557500

Oh dear - I've since moved hosting providers. Are you having issues now?

Wasn't me. Just pointing it out in case you wanted to follow up. ;)

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#113
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

She is talking about the price of a room, not office space.

Ah, my mistake. Though her estimate of £1300 is still a lot more than she'd actually have to pay. My room is in a central location and costs around £670pcm with bills. It's a pretty reasonable place, it's just not 5 minutes from a tube station, which is where they'll get you on the price.

I lived in London, zone 1 is not 670 for sure.

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#114
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are more dangerous than that. There are straight neonazis in there, but it is a broad spectrum from straight Nazi to the "besorgter Bürger" (concerned citizen), which is a meme in Germany for the new right and far-right. For obvious reasons it was previously socially unacceptable to voice these viewpoints out loud. Pegida and the AfD party changed that a bit and like everywhere else in Europe the right is on the…

There is an important difference in that they don't act like neonazis typically do. Nevertheless I think it's even more important to keep in mind that despite what names people may assign to them, ideologically there is no notable distinction. These are people who don't value freedom or equality. They are driven by hatred of anyone different from themselves and accept as moral only what confirms that hatred, sometime…

As I said, they are more dangerous than straight nazis, because they dress normally, have job and are overall much more presentable.

NPD, Rebulikaner and so on have much less potential, because most people even with far-right views would still avoid to be associated with grunting skinheads and risk to be socially excluded.

My view on them is a bit different than yours. I don't think that we necessarily have to talk to them. They often live in their own world with their own conspiracies and mistrust the press, the state, the West and so on. I doubt that talking to them would give us any great insights. So the "die Sorgen der Menschen ernst nehmen" meme ("to take the worries of the people seriously"), politicians played for a while is bullshit.

I do think so that especially since they do not have a very nuanced view on the world at all, we should analyze them very carefully. They are not just evil nazis. There are so many reasons for them (and other populists, see Trump, Brexit etc.) existing:

- one crisis after another (financial, Euro, refugees)

- rising complexity of the world

- their conspiracies regarding NSA/CIA have an actual basis

- stagnation of the West

- lived behind a wall for decades with no immigrants at all

- feeling to be left behind Western Germany

- and many more possible explanations

I also think that not every right idea is bad. The most liberal regulations do not give you anything if the whole system collapses under you. Britain is already gone, we should be really careful now. I think the people badly want control over what's going on, so they are turning to easy answers and to smaller circles. Out of globalization, the EU, the US, back to Russia (in case of Eastern Germany), the country, the family and so on.

We need the planned immigration law. We should help refugees (even though we should have complied with the Dublin regulations), but I don't think there is anything wrong with copying the places Germans immigrate to and specifying clear rules about what kind of people from outside the EU we want to let in.

Unfortunately the EU has no actual leadership, so Merkel has to step in as the defacto leader, take Hollande by the hand and make some bold moves to show the people that the EU can act and is in fact a successful model. Maybe even pissing of the US a bit and rejecting TTIP to show strength.

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out the driving license process in Germany.

Yes, but I was under the impression that getting a driver's license was kind of optional in Germany, with good public transport. Being a foreigner is not :)

Yeah, the DMV is probably the most difficult and time consuming part about getting a license in this US.

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#116

Wow, 20 square meters for €480? That doesn't register as affordable on my books (even with utilities included).

Oh don't look at Dublin prices then. Or Paris. Or even Frankfurt or Sweden.

I like how you just appended an entire country to that list of cities =)

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#117
post #58

I'm planning on moving from London to Berlin within 6 months (I'm British), and mostly for the same reasons (RIP fabric). I have a couple of German citizens as friends who are also seriously considering doing the same. My main concern is how to avoid joining the English-speaking bubble. Although nothing has charged my motivation for learning German more than the recent government responses to Brexit. It does feel a b…

Respecting a democratic vote is fascist?

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#118
post #93
post #61

Welcome to Berlin. :) I came to Berlin roughly 5 years ago before the investment started pouring in and most startups were existenz grundungs, this is when you get 50k from the government and you underpay some interns to build your MVP. It was pretty shabby back then, and things have changed dramatically in the intervening years, but most people came for this vague idea of living cheaply and doing what they want - yo…

I can recommend going to Bürgeramt in Pankow. My first registration was in Bürgeramt Wedding - appointment was scheduled one month before via Internet. There were lots of people waiting. Later on when I moved and had to register again, I tried to make an appointment, but it was impossible. My co-worker went to the Bürgeramt without appointment one hour before opening. Then he had to wait 3-4 hours. I went to Bürgeram…

I got there at 7am, finally got sent 8 hours later. It's a mess and everybody knows it. The lady said everybody has quit or the desks were shut. You can't get an appointment in less than a 7 weeks and if you aren't angemeldet then you can't do anything. Life is on hold.

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#119

Wow, 20 square meters for €480? That doesn't register as affordable on my books (even with utilities included).

That's extremely expensive for Berlin. 24 per Meter. 8 to 12 is considered expensive. 6 was the old standard. I pay 15 but I have top floor with balcony and skylights

Re: Why a Brit chose to start a business in Berlin

#120
post #117
post #58

I'm planning on moving from London to Berlin within 6 months (I'm British), and mostly for the same reasons (RIP fabric). I have a couple of German citizens as friends who are also seriously considering doing the same. My main concern is how to avoid joining the English-speaking bubble. Although nothing has charged my motivation for learning German more than the recent government responses to Brexit. It does feel a b…

Respecting a democratic vote is fascist?

Not exactly. But there are definitely overtones of nationalism and anti-liberalism in what ministers were saying at the Conservative party conference and in recent anti-immigration proposals. They're also insisting on denying MPs and the public a vote on the exact terms of our withdrawal when many people are calling the referendum irresponsible and the result a flippant protest. So currently "respecting" this vote is not exactly the height of liberal democracy either.
Post reply on HN