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That is what you think but in the real world it doesn't seem to work. Europe (and other developed countries) have the big social safety net and they're less ent
by rr888 4y ago
That is what you think but in the real world it doesn't seem to work. Europe (and other developed countries) have the big social safety net and they're less entrepreneurial.
I'm not sure why, perhaps its the egalitarian nature means no one wants to be richer than anyone else? Or maybe its lack of desperate workers.
- gorjusborg 4y agoMy totally off-the-cuff guess is that there is no causal link between social safety nets (like government provided health care) and a lower rate of entrepreneurship. If there is a correlation, I'm guessing it is that governments that take active responsibility for the wellbeing of their citizens also institute regulations which may make starting businesses more difficult. In other words, active governments are more active in general, not just limited to the safety net.
- kaon123 4y agoAs a european my answer is that throughout my entire upbringing, I've been taught to aspire to "just landing a job". Only in the second half of my twenties did I discover the "coolness" of being an entrepreneur. I am planning to start my own business soon, but I had to invent the dream myself. My observation is that in American culture, entrepreneurs are much more celebrated as heroes, in contrast to capitalist profiteurs.
- badpun 4y agoYep, that. In the US, risk-taking, being "the greatest", achieving success etc. are widely held as things to aspire to. I don't think it's great for people's mental health, but it produces a killer economy. Whereas in Europe, when someone thinks or talks like that, it's perceived as a bit off-putting. We're content here with relatively modest lifes and shooting for the stars is seen as foolish.
- pjc50 4y agoI'm not sure this holds up under close examination; SV is kind of unique in how entrepreneurial it is. But there's also the "angel investor" effects; in Europe far too many wealthy people are content to simply be landlords rather than invest in riskier things like actual businesses. It's also very hard to generalise across Europe, which has a more diverse set of rules and business cultures than the US does. But given a magic wand to make changes I would definitely introduce "de minimis" clauses in a whole load of business regulations. The rules for megacorps can afford to be complicated, the rules for small businesses cannot.
- gfgfdsgdfg 4y agoEurope has a huge financial sector in London. They are not just landlords. They aren't lacking money to invest in risky businesses.