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The workaholic side of me used to like the crazy but the aging me likes a better work/life balance. I'm British but recently moved to Oslo, Norway. Until recen

The workaholic side of me used to like the crazy but the aging me likes a better work/life balance. I'm British but recently moved to Oslo, Norway. Until recently I worked at a start-up incubator where there was talk about the 'extreme' start up work life. For Norwegians that meant that they left the office at 5pm instead of 3:30 or 4pm. By 6pm the hot desk office space was normally empty and the lights switched themselves off. It's a tiny industry here and no-one is looking to build the next facebook, they're just looking to do interesting work whilst also having a good life.

sgift 8y ago
> It's a tiny industry here and no-one is looking to build the next facebook, they're just looking to do interesting work whilst also having a good life. This is something I miss in all the "Europe doesn't have the next Google, Europe doesn't have the next Facebook" discussions: Is this really a problem? We could if we wanted, but why would we want? Working like crazy for .. what?
- rolodato 8y ago
  Those discussions/articles are mostly started by Americans, not Europeans.
- Swizec 8y ago
  > We could if we wanted, but why would we want? Working like crazy for .. what? To quote an EU politician I recently had the random chance to have lunch with: "Europe is realizing that these big corporations, they don't have our people's best interests in mind. We can't even begin the conversation on privacy and stuff like that because the American baseline for what is normal and ethical is so far off what we consider ethical there's no way to have a real dialogue. So we're taking measures to protect our citizens, starting with GDPR" Perhaps if Europe had more Googles and Facebooks, they wouldn't monopolize the internet and the playing field could be more even. Asking what's the point of having the Googels and Facebooks and Amazons is like asking 100 years ago "Why should Europe need a car industry" Because consumers want that stuff and they're gonna get it somewhere. And if they get it somewhere else, that somewhere else gains a certain degree of power.
  - sgift 8y ago
    > Asking what's the point of having the Googels and Facebooks and Amazons is like asking 100 years ago "Why should Europe need a car industry" That equates Google and Facebook with the whole IT industry, which is maybe what both wish they were but aren't.
- blfr 8y ago
  These are not the same. Yes, not having Google-like companies, even with their recent turn for the worse, is a problem. Not having a Facebook reflects rather positively on us.
  - AstralStorm 8y ago
    What do you mean? Household names like IKEA? Service workhorses like SAP? Car manufacturers? Huge data centers like OVH? Pioneers like Nokia, Ericsson and Siemens used to be? (in some ways still are) Or monopolist companies specifically? Really, nobody wants Acme Inc. Even if its logo is painted with fancy colors and it promotes youth culture. Google's main business is monopolizing internet advertising and data collection...
    - rayiner 8y ago
      > Huge data centers like OVH? Pioneers like Nokia, Ericsson and Siemens used to be? (in some ways still are) The US makes appa that suck down 5MB to display a status update; Scandanavia builds the equipment that makes it possible.
  - chobeat 8y ago
    Big platforms are a strategic asset that Europe is missing. Hardware production is a strategic asset that USA is missing. In case of a prolonged trade war, I'm not sure Europe is in the worse position between the two.
    - varjag 8y ago
      The USA is way bigger at hardware manufacturing.
  - jylam 8y ago
    > Yes, not having Google-like companies, even with their recent turn for the worse, is a problem May I ask why ?
    - 8y ago
- AndyMcConachie 8y ago
  You may be surprised. I was talking to an American friend who works in the maritime industry and he was completely jealous of the Norwegian start up scene. In the maritime industry. People make money doing things besides computers. Sometimes I think HackerNews folks forget that.
  - varjag 8y ago
    Maritime is huge in Norway due to decades of oil and gas exploration and extraction projects. Very prone to the industry boom and bust cycles however.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

sgift 8y ago

> It's a tiny industry here and no-one is looking to build the next facebook, they're just looking to do interesting work whilst also having a good life. This is something I miss in all the "Europe doesn't have the next Google, Europe doesn't have the next Facebook" discussions: Is this really a problem? We could if we wanted, but why would we want? Working like crazy for .. what?

rolodato 8y ago
Those discussions/articles are mostly started by Americans, not Europeans.
Swizec 8y ago
> We could if we wanted, but why would we want? Working like crazy for .. what? To quote an EU politician I recently had the random chance to have lunch with: "Europe is realizing that these big corporations, they don't have our people's best interests in mind. We can't even begin the conversation on privacy and stuff like that because the American baseline for what is normal and ethical is so far off what we consider ethical there's no way to have a real dialogue. So we're taking measures to protect our citizens, starting with GDPR" Perhaps if Europe had more Googles and Facebooks, they wouldn't monopolize the internet and the playing field could be more even. Asking what's the point of having the Googels and Facebooks and Amazons is like asking 100 years ago "Why should Europe need a car industry" Because consumers want that stuff and they're gonna get it somewhere. And if they get it somewhere else, that somewhere else gains a certain degree of power.
- sgift 8y ago
  > Asking what's the point of having the Googels and Facebooks and Amazons is like asking 100 years ago "Why should Europe need a car industry" That equates Google and Facebook with the whole IT industry, which is maybe what both wish they were but aren't.
blfr 8y ago
These are not the same. Yes, not having Google-like companies, even with their recent turn for the worse, is a problem. Not having a Facebook reflects rather positively on us.
- AstralStorm 8y ago
  What do you mean? Household names like IKEA? Service workhorses like SAP? Car manufacturers? Huge data centers like OVH? Pioneers like Nokia, Ericsson and Siemens used to be? (in some ways still are) Or monopolist companies specifically? Really, nobody wants Acme Inc. Even if its logo is painted with fancy colors and it promotes youth culture. Google's main business is monopolizing internet advertising and data collection...
  - rayiner 8y ago
    > Huge data centers like OVH? Pioneers like Nokia, Ericsson and Siemens used to be? (in some ways still are) The US makes appa that suck down 5MB to display a status update; Scandanavia builds the equipment that makes it possible.
- chobeat 8y ago
  Big platforms are a strategic asset that Europe is missing. Hardware production is a strategic asset that USA is missing. In case of a prolonged trade war, I'm not sure Europe is in the worse position between the two.
  - varjag 8y ago
    The USA is way bigger at hardware manufacturing.
- jylam 8y ago
  > Yes, not having Google-like companies, even with their recent turn for the worse, is a problem May I ask why ?
  - 8y ago
AndyMcConachie 8y ago
You may be surprised. I was talking to an American friend who works in the maritime industry and he was completely jealous of the Norwegian start up scene. In the maritime industry. People make money doing things besides computers. Sometimes I think HackerNews folks forget that.
- varjag 8y ago
  Maritime is huge in Norway due to decades of oil and gas exploration and extraction projects. Very prone to the industry boom and bust cycles however.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]