
Europe isn’t the new Silicon Valley. It’s better - imartin2k
https://thenextweb.com/eu/2017/05/22/europe-isnt-the-new-silicon-valley-its-better/#.tnw_eEKI8OWX
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gamechangr
"I think the first mistake that people make is looking at the European tech
scene as one large, monolithic block. It isn’t. Rather, it’s a collection of
regions and cities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses."

That's exactly the problem. If it were one large block, like Silicon Valley
for the USA - there would be a much more vibrant tech community.

~~~
imartin2k
I guess what you are pointing out (it being a problem) is the conventional
view, while the author tries to frame it as a strength. In the end, it can be
both, depending on the situation. Maybe akin to the centralized vs
decentralized structure of web services?

~~~
gamechangr
Interesting - What is the potential up side of smaller/separated markets?

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vgy7ujm
Salary is way lower, tax way higher, more often focus on cost cutting than
innovation, 90% of applicants can't pass a technical test so teams are always
understaffed and overworked. If SV was in Europe that would be a dream
scenario for Europeans. Many SW companies that makes it big in Europe try to
relocate or branch out to SV asap.

~~~
imartin2k
"Salary is way lower, tax way higher" You are of course fully aware that a
lower salary is less of a problem if the living costs are way lower, which
they are in most of Europe. Looking just at the income side doesn't really say
a lot (except for international travel). Second, I keep hearing from people in
the Bay Area who end up cashing out only 50 % of their salary due to taxes. I
don't have any good first hand information on this, but how sure are you about
this "tax way higher in Europe" claim?

~~~
vgy7ujm
Yes there are a lot of poor countries in Europe. If you look at countries
where Europeans actually want to live (and where tech companies are) then the
cost of living and taxes are high.

Also progressive income tax is common in Europe so you have to collect a very
high salary to be much better off than the general population. E.g. You pay
40% on the first 50K then 50% on the next 20K then 60% on the next 20K... etc.
A bit simplified but you get the picture.

Add to this that there often is a lot of "hidden" taxes in Europe. 25% sales
tax on every dollar spent is not uncommon. Gasoline and alcohol (really
anything considered luxury, polluting, dangerous etc) taxes are often very
high in countries where tech companies are. And you first pay that tax and the
sales tax are added so you pay tax on tax.

When adding all this it's not uncommon to reach 90% real tax on a dollar
earned and spent.

There's and old saying that you can't get rich on a salary in Europe and I
think it is at least 99% true. Some countries have an ok standard of living
for the general population, but if you want more you will find that it is hard
to achieve.

Also companies are taxed harder which makes it difficult to start new
businesses based on innovation etc. You see a lot of consulting startups since
you can start to bill hours right away. But no real value is created there..

~~~
kwhitefoot
> You pay 40% on the first 50K then 50% on the next 20K then 60% on the next
> 20K... etc. A bit simplified but you get the picture.

Which countries have anything like that? I live and work in Norway, commonly
regarded as a high tax country, and the maximum marginal tax rate is less than
50%. Someone earning 50kUSD would pay about 25% in income tax.

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mpfundstein
How big is Europe and how big is the valley? This is comparing apples to
oranges...

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kutkloon7
Comparing a tiny region in California with a continent... Typically American.

~~~
dang
> _Typically American_

This sort of swipe never helps and national slurs are not allowed on HN, so
please don't comment like this again.

~~~
kutkloon7
My comment may look kind of trollish, but I'm rather serious. The American
media has a serious disinterest in news that is not American. On the hand,
this is understandable, since the USA is so big.

However, most Americans do not realize that their view of the world is
incomplete. I do consider my post a valid contribution, and no more of a
'national slur' than posts complaining about Trumps administration.

~~~
dang
> _However, most Americans_

Please just keep this sort of handwavy national generalization off HN
altogether. It's unsubstantive and leads to flamewars. Since you've done this
repeatedly, it's worth stressing the point.

~~~
kutkloon7
Is it better substantiated if I post a source?

[http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-15/1746-american-
adult...](http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-15/1746-american-adults-were-
asked-point-out-north-korea-map-was-result)

