"The Norwegian employee pays a lot of tax, but actually a lot of that money goes to services that directly save money for you (the employer). For example, you don't need to pay for the employee's health insurance, dental care or pension plan, since these are covered by the state."
You can get a great plan in the US for around $500-$600/month (an okay plan is considerably less). 30-40%+ more of my income is considerably more than this.
"By the same logic, no sane VC would invest in a Silicon Valley startup because engineers there are 3-4x more expensive than most other tech hubs."
They are more expensive because they are the best talent around.
"That's nonsense. By European standards, the startup scene is great at least in Sweden and Finland."
Compared to what? The statup scene in Michigan is great compared to that of Iowa or Kansas.
You can get a great plan in the US for around $500-$600/month (an okay plan is considerably less). 30-40%+ more of my income is considerably more than this.
"By the same logic, no sane VC would invest in a Silicon Valley startup because engineers there are 3-4x more expensive than most other tech hubs."
They are more expensive because they are the best talent around.
"That's nonsense. By European standards, the startup scene is great at least in Sweden and Finland."
Compared to what? The statup scene in Michigan is great compared to that of Iowa or Kansas.