

Ask HN: Frustrated economics student from eastern europe needs advice - vvz

Dear HN community, i would really appreciate any help on the topic.<p>I would like to start with a few words about myself: i am in the beginning of my twentieth, living and studying economics in some eastern european country and having a passion for everything about tech ventures. I am able to do some coding (php was my language of choice when i was 15), which, i thought, would give me a perfect opportunity to combine some tech knowledge with confidence in administrational and financial aspects to become actually someone in the tech startup and VCs world.<p>I will (hopefully) get my bachelors degree in economics this year and now i'm getting more and more frustrated, because i don't see any options for myself with the goals i have defined for myself — there is no such startup scene in eastern europe as in the US or the rest of the world and i am not a programming talent, who could have it far more easily to find his dream job. I am not ready to screw everything a just get a job at a some general business consulting firm because everything i could think about last years were startups, product building, bootstrapping, angels, VCs, valuations and so on.<p>I am feeling like loosing the perfect timing opportunity, because if i don't start to get myself involved in either one of the sides of the table (startups vs VCs) right now (with the current market bubbles, trends and the fact that i am still young), i wouldn't have the chance to catch the last bus to the fantasy world called startups.<p>Now, i would like to ask you, my dear HN community, for advice: while being an eastern europe citizen and a non-technician, how to start a career in the startup world?<p>Thank you for every help.
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mantas
Eastern european here. I graduated from high school two years ago. Ditched
university for going after my dreams. Now I'm working on my startup and may
launch another (seed-funded?) startup soon.

Silicon Valley is not a place. It's state of mind.

Of course, some things are easier in US/SV. But my burn rate is 5x smaller
than in Silicon Valley...

If you really want to do a startup and have an idea for it - just do it. Wrong
place is just an excuse.

>while being an eastern europe citizen and a non-technician, how to start a
career in the startup world?

Launch your own startup!

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borism
_> there is no such startup scene in eastern europe as in the US or the rest
of the world_

I don't know which part of Eastern Europe you live in, but in the part where I
live and half way to the south of it there is very active start-up scene. I'm
sure there's something to the south of that as well. Yes, it's not Silicon
Valley, but there's no place like SV anywhere in the world, like there's no
place like any other place. So keep on looking and consider that you might
have to broaden your definition of "startup" to more than just another website
like HN would like you to believe.

 _> how to start a career in the startup world?_

Well, you have to hang around those companies and understand their needs, like
with any other job search. But working at startup is not just a "career", it's
a way of life with it's positive and negative sides. Make sure you understand
what you're getting into before you do.

 _> I am feeling like loosing the perfect timing opportunity_

I don't think you're losing anything. Take your time and look around, don't
just jump into this world head first. Things might actually be much worse than
they look now. But good times are certainly ahead :)

