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Freeing Europe's top tech talent to build pioneering companies

hackfwd.com

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Re: Freeing Europe's top tech talent to build pioneering companies

#2

Post by jgrahamc »

In what sense is this 'freeing' the talent? We're not exactly in shackles here in London.

Also, the name HackFwd is a bit surprising since none of the people involved are hackers in my mind.

Update. The HackFwd people disagreed with me about my assessment of the people not being hackers. I asked them who they'd highlight as a hacker and they pointed to http://hackfwd.com/people#prof.-franz-guenthner

Second update. The more I think about it the more I think this whole 'freeing' thing is arrogant. Who the hell are these guys to set us free? Why begin by implying that we are not free?

Re: Freeing Europe's top tech talent to build pioneering companies

#6

Post by ohashi »

It doesn't seem honest about the options and outcomes in their chart. I immediately dislike that about this concept, instead of wanting to really help they make it seem like they are the only ones capable of launching startups. I understand the marketing aspect of it, but other organizations don't mock you for trying other routes and talking to some of the people, they are more than willing to help you regardless of whether you take their program/money or someone elses.

Re: Freeing Europe's top tech talent to build pioneering companies

#8

Post by ahoyhere »

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

In what sense is this 'freeing' the talent? We're not exactly in shackles here in London. Also, the name HackFwd is a bit surprising since none of the people involved are hackers in my mind. Update. The HackFwd people disagreed with me about my assessment of the people not being hackers. I asked them who they'd highlight as a hacker and they pointed to http://hackfwd.com/people#prof.-franz-guenthner Second update. Th…

It's been my experience that the people who are involved in, and want to be prominent in[1], venture/entrepreneurship/funding in Europe are cargo culters, and their idea of tact is not the same as in the UK/US - they also don't do a good job carrying off lovable arrogance, like Americans and Brits have much practice doing.

Case in point: ZenDesk. Their "here's our new price, this is transparent cuz we didn't charge you without telling you" bit and then their non-apology apology, and CEO's tweets complaining about their upset customers, etc.

That behavior, and this behavior, are cut from the same cloth.

I wish the above weren't my experience, seeing as I'm an American transplant in Austria, naturally. I'm invested in it NOT being that way. And yet, there it is.

[1] There are plenty of people in the venture/entrepreneurship/funding game in Europe who aren't like this, I imagine, but the prominence-seeking seems to be the indicator for being unlikably, and unjustifiably, arrogant.

EDIT: replaced start with number to solve formatting issue

Re: Freeing Europe's top tech talent to build pioneering companies

#9

Post by jgrahamc »

ahoyhere wrote: post #8
jgrahamc wrote: post #2

In what sense is this 'freeing' the talent? We're not exactly in shackles here in London. Also, the name HackFwd is a bit surprising since none of the people involved are hackers in my mind. Update. The HackFwd people disagreed with me about my assessment of the people not being hackers. I asked them who they'd highlight as a hacker and they pointed to http://hackfwd.com/people#prof.-franz-guenthner Second update. Th…

It's been my experience that the people who are involved in, and want to be prominent in[1], venture/entrepreneurship/funding in Europe are cargo culters, and their idea of tact is not the same as in the UK/US - they also don't do a good job carrying off lovable arrogance, like Americans and Brits have much practice doing. Case in point: ZenDesk. Their "here's our new price, this is transparent cuz we didn't charge y…

I particularly enjoyed this video http://vimeo.com/12149977 in which we are told that Twitter is useful for keeping up to date on new technologies.

Re: Freeing Europe's top tech talent to build pioneering companies

#10

Post by danielh »

jgrahamc wrote: post #2

In what sense is this 'freeing' the talent? We're not exactly in shackles here in London. Also, the name HackFwd is a bit surprising since none of the people involved are hackers in my mind. Update. The HackFwd people disagreed with me about my assessment of the people not being hackers. I asked them who they'd highlight as a hacker and they pointed to http://hackfwd.com/people#prof.-franz-guenthner Second update. Th…

I think all they wanted to imply is that they 'free' you from worrying about paying the bills and allowing you focus on your startup idea by matching your current salary. But I agree that the wording is unlucky and can be easily be misinterpreted.
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