Path: mv.asterisco.pt!mvalente
From: mvale…@ruido-visual.pt (Mario Valente)
Newsgroups: mv
Subject: Why No Portuguese Startup Hubs
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 07 23:25:21 GMT
The answers to the question about the non-existence of startup
hubs in Portugal (or for Portugal not being a startup hub) are
given by Paul Graham himself.
Why Startups Condense in America
http://www.paulgraham.com/america.html
How to be Silicon Valley
http://www.paulgraham.com/siliconvalley.html
Lisbon (in Portugal, in Europe) has most of the 10 conditions
referred in the 1st essay (except for one). It also has most of
the conditions referred to in the 2nd essay.
Whats the problem then? Paul Graham sums it up best:
“If you look at the kinds of things you have to do to create an
environment where startups condense, none are great sacrifices.
Great universities? Livable towns? Civil liberties? Immigration
policies that let in smart people?
Flexible employment laws? Tax laws that encourage growth?”
The last two are the killers.
Startups are risky endeavours. You need a lot of flexibility. Why
should I start a startup if I’m burdened for life with employees
(even if the startup fails) and their “social” costs (thereby making
me need more investment upfront) and then get as reward having to
pay more than 50% in taxes (do the math)?
Shall we leave those “values” and with them the (crappy) “universal”
health system, the (crappy) subsidized public transportation and other
“values” of the social state? Shall we drop taxes like Ireland did
and allow for freedom of contract in employment? No Siree Bob…
But I guess we can be happy for being death penalty free, having good
wine and food and drink beer in the streets. And meanwhile we can just
go on leaving to work in the US or in a north European city. If you do,
at least choose Amsterdam: London has more VC money; but Amsterdam has
better taxes and less crappy weather…
— MV
