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But the sample is US-based. 25 years ago you might get by with a small student loan to complete your education. Nowadays the debt load is pretty much off the ch

But the sample is US-based. 25 years ago you might get by with a small student loan to complete your education. Nowadays the debt load is pretty much off the charts [1]. IMHO a better study would be to check out what's happening in continental Europe, where higher education is either free or nearly so for all practical intents. As a local, I'd put forward that youngsters are as entrepreneurial as they were a generation ago, if not more. At any rate, I would expect the real issue in the US has more to do with the skyrocketing education costs (and later, mortgage costs) than it does with lack of desire or drive to create a business. [1]: https://411w15.econ.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/federal-student-loans-outstanding-data_chartbuilder1.png https://411w15.econ.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04...

TimJYoung 8y ago
I'll attest to that, at least anecdotally: we sell primarily to small software companies and have a lot of customers in the EU that tend to run the gamut in terms of makeup, whereas in the US almost all of the small companies are being tended to by older developers that started them in the 90s. I've also noticed that in the EU (and other places outside of the US), developers are more likely to use non-mainstream languages and tools and aren't so hung up on the current trends. But, again, this is all anecdotal and subject to my own biases.
- foepys 8y ago
  > I've also noticed that in the EU (and other places outside of the US), developers are more likely to use non-mainstream languages and tools and aren't so hung up on the current trends. I can confirm that at least for Germany outside of Berlin (Germany's SV). Nobody wants to sit in the office until 10pm because some new trendy language or one of its alpha-grade libraries decided to shit the bed in an edge-case. We rather go home to our families. Companies stick to C#, Java, and sometimes Python. C/C++ for embedded, obviously.

TimJYoung 8y ago

I'll attest to that, at least anecdotally: we sell primarily to small software companies and have a lot of customers in the EU that tend to run the gamut in terms of makeup, whereas in the US almost all of the small companies are being tended to by older developers that started them in the 90s. I've also noticed that in the EU (and other places outside of the US), developers are more likely to use non-mainstream languages and tools and aren't so hung up on the current trends. But, again, this is all anecdotal and subject to my own biases.

foepys 8y ago
> I've also noticed that in the EU (and other places outside of the US), developers are more likely to use non-mainstream languages and tools and aren't so hung up on the current trends. I can confirm that at least for Germany outside of Berlin (Germany's SV). Nobody wants to sit in the office until 10pm because some new trendy language or one of its alpha-grade libraries decided to shit the bed in an edge-case. We rather go home to our families. Companies stick to C#, Java, and sometimes Python. C/C++ for embedded, obviously.