4 ms·

Never heard anyone in Germany dreaming of going to Berlin to "make it" as a software engineer, as if there was a mythical Silicon Valley-like atmosphere of oppo

Never heard anyone in Germany dreaming of going to Berlin to "make it" as a software engineer, as if there was a mythical Silicon Valley-like atmosphere of opportunity. Correct me if I'm wrong and I'm missing out! You can go for that Berlin lifestyle and to work in some neat startups (as an underpaid employee) but that's not the canonical definition for succcess imo.

raverbashing 4y ago
You're talking from a very German centric point of view ;) But it is true that most startups are in Berlin, even non-German ones open technical offices there. And it's also true that the average German has little interest in going there.
- UweSchmidt 4y ago
  I met plenty of foreigners in software jobs all around Germany, aspiring to and usually achieving that sweet German middle class life; I have not noticed any aspirations from them of heading to Berlin. I think the dream of finding ambitious and cool people in a hot location and succeed with a true startup, i.e. not something backed or done by people who are already successful or well connected is dead anyway even in Silicon Valley and never really existed anywhere else. Over there however you still have those mystical FAANG salaries... Dublin and London might be different from Irish and English perspective, respectively.
  - raverbashing 4y ago
    > I have not noticed any aspirations from them of heading to Berlin. Yes, the profile of the people that go to Berlin is different from people who'll go to a software job somewhere else in Germany. Very rarely you'll have that situation of someone going internally to Berlin. I might say that Berlin have few engineering offices of the biggest (non-Berlin centered) German companies. > I think the dream of finding ambitious and cool people in a hot location and succeed with a true startup, i.e. not something backed or done by people who are already successful or well connected is dead anyway even in Silicon Valley and never really existed anywhere else. Very possible. But the cultural draw of Berlin is much bigger than SV. Hands down. Dublin and London also attract some profiles (given the companies that go there) but not many people think Dublin is the coolest city.
    - UweSchmidt 4y ago
      Well, now I feel that I might have missed out on something during my wandering years...
giorgioz 4y ago
"Some man's trash is another man's treasure". Plus many young people in their 20s like to live in cool places. Berlin is cool. It's underground, it's edgy, new things are tried, clubs are cool. It's a big city and there are many startup jobs.

raverbashing 4y ago

You're talking from a very German centric point of view ;) But it is true that most startups are in Berlin, even non-German ones open technical offices there. And it's also true that the average German has little interest in going there.

UweSchmidt 4y ago
I met plenty of foreigners in software jobs all around Germany, aspiring to and usually achieving that sweet German middle class life; I have not noticed any aspirations from them of heading to Berlin. I think the dream of finding ambitious and cool people in a hot location and succeed with a true startup, i.e. not something backed or done by people who are already successful or well connected is dead anyway even in Silicon Valley and never really existed anywhere else. Over there however you still have those mystical FAANG salaries... Dublin and London might be different from Irish and English perspective, respectively.
- raverbashing 4y ago
  > I have not noticed any aspirations from them of heading to Berlin. Yes, the profile of the people that go to Berlin is different from people who'll go to a software job somewhere else in Germany. Very rarely you'll have that situation of someone going internally to Berlin. I might say that Berlin have few engineering offices of the biggest (non-Berlin centered) German companies. > I think the dream of finding ambitious and cool people in a hot location and succeed with a true startup, i.e. not something backed or done by people who are already successful or well connected is dead anyway even in Silicon Valley and never really existed anywhere else. Very possible. But the cultural draw of Berlin is much bigger than SV. Hands down. Dublin and London also attract some profiles (given the companies that go there) but not many people think Dublin is the coolest city.
  - UweSchmidt 4y ago
    Well, now I feel that I might have missed out on something during my wandering years...

giorgioz 4y ago

"Some man's trash is another man's treasure". Plus many young people in their 20s like to live in cool places. Berlin is cool. It's underground, it's edgy, new things are tried, clubs are cool. It's a big city and there are many startup jobs.