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Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

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Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#21

Post by bengillies »

aniliop wrote: post #6

24yo from London here too. The author's point was: 'Whats toxic is that this then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, teams get funding because they look/sound the part. This means that there are more teams that succeed that fit the stereotype and on we go creating Tigertailz instead of the Beatles.' Morgan is using metaphors to show how UK startups need to be themselves. Instead of aping US startups as much as possi…

Sure, but he makes no attempt to define what this "UK culture" they all need to adopt is (bar stating that The Beatles were popular and that Motley Crew were more like Motley Crew than a band that wasn't Motley Crew).

American culture's been slowly infiltrating the UK for decades (I don't have a problem with that), why should a particular group of people suddenly start rejecting it?

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#23

Post by semanticist »

bengillies wrote: post #21
aniliop wrote: post #6

24yo from London here too. The author's point was: 'Whats toxic is that this then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, teams get funding because they look/sound the part. This means that there are more teams that succeed that fit the stereotype and on we go creating Tigertailz instead of the Beatles.' Morgan is using metaphors to show how UK startups need to be themselves. Instead of aping US startups as much as possi…

Sure, but he makes no attempt to define what this "UK culture" they all need to adopt is (bar stating that The Beatles were popular and that Motley Crew were more like Motley Crew than a band that wasn't Motley Crew). American culture's been slowly infiltrating the UK for decades (I don't have a problem with that), why should a particular group of people suddenly start rejecting it?

There is no single UK culture, so telling people to adopt the ideas of, say, London, isn't any better for people in Edinburgh than telling us to think like Californians.

I think the key point is not being afraid to find your own path. In the start-up world the Valley dominates everything - there is a huge push to get to California or you're not going to achieve anything big. Governments around the world want to make 'the next Silicon Valley', leading to 'silicon roundabout' in London which is an attempt at the superficial trappings of the Valley without any of the substance.

People are starting to realise that the big VC-funded start-up isn't the only way to go - and people outside the US are starting to see that modelling themselves after American companies and American ideals isn't the only way to go either.

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#24

Post by shabble »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #13
dabeeeenster wrote: post #10

I've worked in Shoreditch for over 6 years. The startup people here don't dress like they do in Silicon Valley. And people in the UK use the word Awesome all the time. It might be an Americanisation but it's not on account of people trying to be like Twitter, it's because of the A Team and Knight Rider. If people are asking whether they should spell it colour or color, that's probably the reason they are not doing we…

> If people are asking whether they should spell it colour or color, that's probably the reason they are not doing well! What a ridiculously pointless thing to worry about. // It's presentation. It doesn't want to be top on your list but if the majority of your market is en-US then it seems a little silly to write in en-GB. The voice of your prose and your online presence can be an important part of the confidence a…

There's also (anecdotally) the reverse effect, where GB > US, apparently on the basis that Americans are brash and crude, whilst the British are somehow more sophisticated.

I can't say that's been entirely my experience, but I've certainly heard it voiced a few times.

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#25

Post by archangel_one »

SamColes wrote: post #3
helipad wrote: post #2

The headline is a relevant one, but the article seems to focus on dress sense and accent? Imitation of success stories occurs in every walk of life - it just happens to be Silicon Valley people in this industry. It's quite possible to be unique and have your own voice even if you are inspired by dressing and talking like Steve Jobs.

24 yo from London here. That language is completely standard to me. I've been saying awesome with a straight face for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure it's the best way to have made the point.

I've lived in England and New Zealand and I felt the same; none of them seemed especially unusual to me. Who would describe something as "awesome"? Probably anyone who grew up in the 80s and watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for a start...

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#26

Post by anamax »

DanI-S wrote: post #17
dabeeeenster wrote: post #10

I've worked in Shoreditch for over 6 years. The startup people here don't dress like they do in Silicon Valley. And people in the UK use the word Awesome all the time. It might be an Americanisation but it's not on account of people trying to be like Twitter, it's because of the A Team and Knight Rider. If people are asking whether they should spell it colour or color, that's probably the reason they are not doing we…

I can't agree enough. I'm British, and I wouldn't want to change that for the world. But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm. Entrepreneurship is something that happens to other people - stereotypically, middle-aged men tinkering in their garages with clockwork radios. I've somehow ended up in Silicon Valley,…

> The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK.

You're assuming something about what happens when you fail in the US that isn't true.

> But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm.

That "UK dream" is the US backup plan.

Seriously - health insurance and welfare isn't one of the things on my "what happens if I fail" list because I'll just go get a job.

Oh, and the health insurance costs aren't actually that significant. I know, because I've had the backup plan fail and had to do them out of pocket. Since I'm "old", I'm pretty much a worse case.

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#27

Post by DanI-S »

anamax wrote: post #26
DanI-S wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't agree enough. I'm British, and I wouldn't want to change that for the world. But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm. Entrepreneurship is something that happens to other people - stereotypically, middle-aged men tinkering in their garages with clockwork radios. I've somehow ended up in Silicon Valley,…

> The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK. You're assuming something about what happens when you fail in the US that isn't true. > But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm. That "UK dream" is the…

All this is totally dependent on your personal background.

It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable - but I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college) unless you have a pretty good parental safety net. However, we see it all the time from US kids - and not so much from the UK.

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#28

Post by gaius »

dabeeeenster wrote: post #10

I've worked in Shoreditch for over 6 years. The startup people here don't dress like they do in Silicon Valley. And people in the UK use the word Awesome all the time. It might be an Americanisation but it's not on account of people trying to be like Twitter, it's because of the A Team and Knight Rider. If people are asking whether they should spell it colour or color, that's probably the reason they are not doing we…

I'm English, and I don't think risk is anything to do with it. We have a culture in which success is almost considered something to be ashamed of. If someone does make a fortune in high-tech, they'll be lambasted as the hated "rich" who are apparently responsible for all the country's problems.

You know, the BBC calculated that only the top 30% of taxpayers are net contributors. There are 30M income tax payers in the UK, so that means 85% of the population get more out of the system than they put in. Rather than being grateful, they resent the 15% who give them everything for not giving even more. That is why in the UK, people keep their heads down.

Re: Why UK startups should stop trying to be US startups

#29

Post by anamax »

DanI-S wrote: post #27
anamax wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK. You're assuming something about what happens when you fail in the US that isn't true. > But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm. That "UK dream" is the…

All this is totally dependent on your personal background. It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable - but I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college) unless you have a pretty good parental safety net. However, we see it all the time from US kids - and not so m…

> It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable

You're assuming something about age discrimination....

> I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college)

Huh? Why are you assuming that a youngster is less hirable/desirable after the biz that they start fails? They're not, they're more hirable/desirable, at least in the US. (Of course, if they weren't very hireable before, that may carry over, but we're not talking about those folks.)

> unless you have a pretty good parental safety net.

That's not particularly relevant.

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