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Im an American currently living in Europe (Germany). I’ve founded a few companies in the US. I have a project that’s going well, could easily turn into a startu
by bradhe 2y ago
Im an American currently living in Europe (Germany). I’ve founded a few companies in the US. I have a project that’s going well, could easily turn into a startup, but I’m not sure I’d found it here—genuinely struggling with it.
The way companies fundraise here is a bit weird to me. Much smaller rounds. Also typically thinking smaller in general. Obviously, everything is very commercially focused. In Germany, the worker protections make operating really quite difficult and it changes the culture of the company, too. Don’t even get me started about on-call culture.
I can’t really think of a distinct advantage to starting a company in EU vs US if you have a US passport outside some minor niceties. My current thinking is operating on both continents is likely best, with GTM in US and engineering in EU. But not sure…
- nvy 2y ago>In Germany, the worker protections make operating really quite difficult and it changes the culture of the company, too. Don’t even get me started about on-call culture. Given how exploitative some US companies are, this sounds wonderful to be honest. The only way I can see this as a negative is if you view your employees as fungible commodities rather than valued team members.
- davidjfelix 2y ago(I don't agree with this viewpoint) maybe the author views fungibility of employees as a feature because it lessens the risk of a founder sinking an investment over a personal or interpersonal issue.
- Muromec 2y ago> Don’t even get me started about on-call culture. No, I don't want to answer to your pager robot at 3 am for things I have no control over and don't want to touch. Get another robot to answer that or hire an SRE. I want to write my CSS and my 1 hour lunch break and live a life.
- bradhe 2y agoI dunno man the company pays you 10x your peers for a reason.
- throwaway44773 2y agoScarcity of skillset. If there are 10x as many people than now willing to do the job, companies would offer much lower salaries while making the same or worse work demands.
- Muromec 2y agoI'm pretty sure I'm not getting paid 10x of anything.
- pas 2y agoI did that in the EU, there's a price attached to it. (we were the SRE team, had a lot of control, good extra pay every time it called, etc.)