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If the current crop of tech companies can supersede MS, AOL, Yahoo, MySpace, etc. Why can't companies from other parts of the globe do it as well? It just takes
by JustSomeNobody 10y ago
If the current crop of tech companies can supersede MS, AOL, Yahoo, MySpace, etc. Why can't companies from other parts of the globe do it as well? It just takes one company to do something different and build inertia. That's all.
What is keeping European companies from toppling Google or FB or Twitter?
Edit: Keyboard fail.
- tensor 10y agoThere are definitely companies from other countries that do well. For example, Skype, Spotify, Shazam, and Soundcloud are all European.
- sievebrain 10y agoDon't forget SAP. Clearly, the key to succeeding as a tech firm in Europe is to start your company's name with an S.
- orbifold 10y agoSoftware AG too :).
- Daishiman 10y agoHere's a brief list: difficulty for funding or capitalization, an existing concentration of tech talent on a few hubs, smaller market sizes that are less attractive as first launch sites, costs of translation into said markets (not just textual translation, but brand, intention, marketing, etc). The examples of the companies you mention have been superseded for the most part, but that's also been due to the fact that new players managed to get huge amounts of cash through funding. Believe it or not cash is not just that liquid globally that you can fundraise like it's SV anywhere else.
- apozem 10y agoBecause competing in internet services gives a tremendous advantage to the first mover who can amass the largest network. Metcalfe's Law states that the value of a network (and, implicitly, how hard it is to topple) is proportional to the square of the number of connected users. https://stratechery.com/2014/uber-fights/ https://stratechery.com/2014/uber-fights/
- JustSomeNobody 10y agoI don't disagree. But, there are examples that counter. MySpace was popular then FB happened. Motorola was king of cellphones, then the iPhone happened.