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> Kick the Americans out? Ok, well now BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes are banned in the US. Germany just lost a huge part of its economy (look up the two biggest ma

> Kick the Americans out? Ok, well now BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes are banned in the US. Germany just lost a huge part of its economy (look up the two biggest markets for their vehicles: the US and China). As someone living in a German city which is a world leading car manufacturing center, I would actually like to see the end of German auto industry. The whole German economic system is geared towards those big car manufacturers, and it's very hard for small businesses and enterpreneurs to navigate through all of that bureaucratic mess created by big German corporations. Letting them fail would actually help making German economy much healthier in the long run.

allendoerfer 11y ago
I think you greatly underestimate how many jobs are dependent on our auto industry. It is not only the cars, big companies like Bosch and a plethora of hidden champions, that dominate their segment but nobody recognizes, would not be possible if it were not for the close connection at home to a world-wide leading industry. I am not even sure, that Silicon Valley is ahead when it comes to "digital stuff" inside cars. It is my perception at least, that companies like Mercedes or BMW had many of the digital helpers first. I therefor think Germany would be a great place to start a tech-startup apart from the next social network.
- tiatia 11y ago
  Yeah, sure. You mean besides the extreme bureaucracy, poor funding opportunities, poor exit opportunities. Germany is probably one of the WORST places for a start-up.
  - allendoerfer 11y ago
    >extreme bureaucracy As someone doing business in Germany since the age of 17, I would actually like to know, what you mean by that. Of course employment works different here (like generally in Europe), and I also give you that it is much harder for non-Germans, but if you know the language you can generally just call the folks at our IRS and they are happy to help you. Starting to freelance is literally just filling out a one page online form at the Gewerbeamt, after that do not call them, they call you. Setting up an entity is a bid harder, but come on, registering an UG or a LTD (in the UK, this is Europe after all, you can register your company pretty much where you want to) is not black magic either. It could be easier, but I do not buy that we are missing opportunities, because you have to google it first. > poor funding opportunities, poor exit opportunities. >Germany is probably one of the WORST places for a start-up. I give you lacking funding opportunity, but the notion seems to be, that early stage funding is pretty okay, mid and later stage rounds seem to be the problem. We do have an exchange in Frankfurt and car companies are buying startups in their space, the problem is more, that there simply are not that many of them. There is also the possibility to join Rocket, their E-commerce and (locale) marketplaces seem to do just fine, funding-wise. I think we are pretty okay, even without the short-lived social stuff, that SV creates, which some people call a scheme anyway. What I would like to see more of are SaaS products in many different spaces. I do not think that missing funding or a bureaucracy are the reasons why we do not have more of them. I think the reasons are rooted deeper in society, which is slowly changing over time, thanks David Fincher. Also: Compared to what? SV or the 192 other countries that exists besides Germany and America?
    - tiatia 11y ago
      Dude, I have run companies in the US and DE. So please don't tell me the difference. Your problem: You can't even imagine the difference in the VC scene between the two countries.
mempko 11y ago
Just as a warning, look at what happened to Detroit, when the auto industry left.

allendoerfer 11y ago

I think you greatly underestimate how many jobs are dependent on our auto industry. It is not only the cars, big companies like Bosch and a plethora of hidden champions, that dominate their segment but nobody recognizes, would not be possible if it were not for the close connection at home to a world-wide leading industry. I am not even sure, that Silicon Valley is ahead when it comes to "digital stuff" inside cars. It is my perception at least, that companies like Mercedes or BMW had many of the digital helpers first. I therefor think Germany would be a great place to start a tech-startup apart from the next social network.

tiatia 11y ago
Yeah, sure. You mean besides the extreme bureaucracy, poor funding opportunities, poor exit opportunities. Germany is probably one of the WORST places for a start-up.
- allendoerfer 11y ago
  >extreme bureaucracy As someone doing business in Germany since the age of 17, I would actually like to know, what you mean by that. Of course employment works different here (like generally in Europe), and I also give you that it is much harder for non-Germans, but if you know the language you can generally just call the folks at our IRS and they are happy to help you. Starting to freelance is literally just filling out a one page online form at the Gewerbeamt, after that do not call them, they call you. Setting up an entity is a bid harder, but come on, registering an UG or a LTD (in the UK, this is Europe after all, you can register your company pretty much where you want to) is not black magic either. It could be easier, but I do not buy that we are missing opportunities, because you have to google it first. > poor funding opportunities, poor exit opportunities. >Germany is probably one of the WORST places for a start-up. I give you lacking funding opportunity, but the notion seems to be, that early stage funding is pretty okay, mid and later stage rounds seem to be the problem. We do have an exchange in Frankfurt and car companies are buying startups in their space, the problem is more, that there simply are not that many of them. There is also the possibility to join Rocket, their E-commerce and (locale) marketplaces seem to do just fine, funding-wise. I think we are pretty okay, even without the short-lived social stuff, that SV creates, which some people call a scheme anyway. What I would like to see more of are SaaS products in many different spaces. I do not think that missing funding or a bureaucracy are the reasons why we do not have more of them. I think the reasons are rooted deeper in society, which is slowly changing over time, thanks David Fincher. Also: Compared to what? SV or the 192 other countries that exists besides Germany and America?
  - tiatia 11y ago
    Dude, I have run companies in the US and DE. So please don't tell me the difference. Your problem: You can't even imagine the difference in the VC scene between the two countries.

mempko 11y ago

Just as a warning, look at what happened to Detroit, when the auto industry left.