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Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

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Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#21

Post by ghurlman »

davidw wrote: post #18
zwieback wrote: post #17

When I was growing up in Germany I remember hearing this exact same complaint about lack of entrepreneurship a good 30 years ago. My dad, who is a solid state physicist, was a kind of cheerleader for modern technology and was exasperated how companies were not adopting and adapting more quickly. His predictions that the economy was going to go down the tubes while the rest of the world pulled away still ring in my ea…

> any serious Oregonian owns a Stihl chainsaw. Well, depending on which bit of Oregon they're from, they might abhor the idea of a device to "denude mother gaia's old growth forests" or something to that effect... Said as someone who grew up in Oregon.

Not when that old growth is blocking the road after a storm.

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#22

Post by jerf »

zwieback wrote: post #17

When I was growing up in Germany I remember hearing this exact same complaint about lack of entrepreneurship a good 30 years ago. My dad, who is a solid state physicist, was a kind of cheerleader for modern technology and was exasperated how companies were not adopting and adapting more quickly. His predictions that the economy was going to go down the tubes while the rest of the world pulled away still ring in my ea…

I am reminded of the concept of differential advantage. It's OK for the US to be entrepreneurial and for Germany to have a lot of craft-focused artisans who can take technology and refine it unto the nth degree. The world is richer for having the both.

It's part of the reason I think a lot of people over the decades(/centuries) who call for the US to be more a clone of Europe are calling for a really bad idea; it's more than just OK for there to actually be different types of countries, but they actually support each other and make each side wealthier. Diversity, real diversity involving significant differences, is good.

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#23

Post by dualogy »

franze wrote: post #19

ok, as i'm currently starting my business in austria (that's in europe) i want to add my 2c. the biggest obstacle is that the government won't go out of your way. 1. i could start my company now 2. but it would be stupid, as i would miss out on the "unternehmensgründerförderung" (start up support) 3. for getting "unternehmensgründerförderung" you have to attend a sh#tload of courses (for about 2 months) which tell yo…

Yes you should, and it's not hard. You start by refusing to take any more government money, then proceed to the advanced stage where you also refuse to pay them any. Involves a lot of travel, but who wouldn't love that? Entrepreneur-anarchists certainly do ;)

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#24

Post by zenspunk »

franze wrote: post #19

ok, as i'm currently starting my business in austria (that's in europe) i want to add my 2c. the biggest obstacle is that the government won't go out of your way. 1. i could start my company now 2. but it would be stupid, as i would miss out on the "unternehmensgründerförderung" (start up support) 3. for getting "unternehmensgründerförderung" you have to attend a sh#tload of courses (for about 2 months) which tell yo…

So, Europe needs less regulation on the low-end of town (small businesses) to increase international competitiveness, and the US needs more regulation on the high-end of town (big business) to decrease corruption and prevent anti-competitive practices.

Would it be fair to say that?

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#25

Post by forkandwait »

zwieback wrote: post #17

When I was growing up in Germany I remember hearing this exact same complaint about lack of entrepreneurship a good 30 years ago. My dad, who is a solid state physicist, was a kind of cheerleader for modern technology and was exasperated how companies were not adopting and adapting more quickly. His predictions that the economy was going to go down the tubes while the rest of the world pulled away still ring in my ea…

Not only do we buy Stihl chainsaws, etc, but Germans have excellent social services, (I think) the basic level of human capital (education, politeness, etc) is much higher, and it is really safe. And it isn't like lots of Americans aren't looking for safe/ boring/ long term/ moderate payoff jobs either.

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#26

Post by diego_moita »

ovi256 wrote: post #5

This is a classic example of "if only more people would be like us, the world would be better!". Sure enough, the experts are all entrepreneurs and investors. Well, in this particular case, they may very well be right. But things like this really bother me: "traditional engineering-driven approach to business, with its emphasis on perfection, longevity, pride in ingenuity and culture of deep-thinking put the country…

> Also, the last piece of candy: 'The so called “poor countries,” such as Brazil, have this hunger. They are going to catch up on us.'

Disclosure: I am Brazilian.

They might, but it will take much longer than anyone expects. The truth is that Europe has a lot of advantages when compared to countries like Brazil, India, etc.

1) Working institutions, including the rule of the law. Don't get me started about the ineptitude and incompetence of Brazilian police and courts.

2) A notion of what good governance means, at least outside of Italy and the PIGS. Patronage is so widespread and accepted here that this word doesn't even have a direct translation.

3) Culture and I don't mean classical erudition, but basic literacy.

4) A working credit industry. Only farmers and people with connections in the government can get easy credit in here. For all others the interest rates are a rip-off.

Also, few people realize that some of the problems Europe has (decreasing population) are already arriving here; so it is possible that we get old before we get rich.

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#27

Post by forkandwait »

davidw wrote: post #18
zwieback wrote: post #17

When I was growing up in Germany I remember hearing this exact same complaint about lack of entrepreneurship a good 30 years ago. My dad, who is a solid state physicist, was a kind of cheerleader for modern technology and was exasperated how companies were not adopting and adapting more quickly. His predictions that the economy was going to go down the tubes while the rest of the world pulled away still ring in my ea…

> any serious Oregonian owns a Stihl chainsaw. Well, depending on which bit of Oregon they're from, they might abhor the idea of a device to "denude mother gaia's old growth forests" or something to that effect... Said as someone who grew up in Oregon.

I think about 53% of OR wants to dance naked in the old growth forests, and about 47% wants to cut it all down and go to church 3 times a week. Said as someone who has lived in Oregon and absolutely LOVES both its hippies and its hicks.

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#28

Post by patrickk »

keiferski wrote: post #6

. Making money, he said, was not seen as a good thing to do. “The culture is changing, but it will take time.” There's your marketing problem. If being an entrepreneur was only about making money, I wouldn't want my culture to encourage it either. They should focus less on materialism and more on making a difference and creating jobs.

"They should focus less on materialism and more on making a difference and creating jobs."

Making a difference? Creating jobs? If I was a business owner (I hope to be someday), the last thing I would be concerned with is job creation. As the old adage goes, "overhead walks on two legs" i.e. wages are a major cost for a business.

My first concern would be positive cash flow, then ramen profitability. Then perhaps getting funded, and only then, job creation.

Making money should the the sole goal of any business, then afterwards you can worry about making a difference, and employing people. Any other focus and you aren't going to make a difference or create jobs, because you will be out of business.

EDIT: amended last sentence

Re: Lack of Entrepreneurial Culture Seen as Europe’s Biggest Obstacle

#29

Post by JanezStupar »

latch wrote: post #14
coliveira wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Americans don't like to talk about it, but they should better learn how emulate Europe rather than the opposite. The USA is nowadays more similar to Europe than to new developing economies. While Europe hasn't the high growth it once had, they know how to maintain an economy that retains prosperity for most of its people.

Wait, what? I'm not anti/pro america/europe. I'm also not very good at geography, but are you talking about the same Europe as I think you are? Are you suggesting that Europe, as a whole, is an economic model to follow right now? Or when you say Europe do you really just mean Germany ?

Tongue in cheek - Europe could be defined as federation of countries striving to become like Germany.

Like US could be defined as federation of countries striving to become like NewFornia.

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