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Two of my favorite products are from Sweden, my OP-1 synth and Reason. I've often wondered if a social safety net, such as the one in Sweden, takes a risk burd

by rdouble 14y ago

Two of my favorite products are from Sweden, my OP-1 synth and Reason. I've often wondered if a social safety net, such as the one in Sweden, takes a risk burden off of entrepreneurs and therefore allows for more experimentation with products like these. They require more lead time to develop (years vs. months) and target music making, which isn't an obviously lucrative market. However, the companies behind both products seem to be doing quite well.

antris 14y ago
Linux would have never happened if Linus Torvalds didn't have a chance to "slack off" in Helsinki University with taxpayer money. The whole thing started as a hobby project. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux#The_creation_of_Linux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux#The_creation_o... Unfortunately, the times are changing in Finland, too, as politicians are pushing for legislation to force students to finish their studies within tighter time frames.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- hjn341 14y ago
  Do you happen to have a link to some writing on those proposed changes in legislation? Thanks!
  - antris 14y ago
    There was a legislation about a maximum period of 7 years for doing both the bachelor's and the master's degree. This would mean a student could lose his permission to be enrolled in the university as a student and graduate: http://yle.fi/uutiset/seitseman_vuoden_takaraja_hiillostaa_nyt_ikuista_opiskelijaa/5742927 http://yle.fi/uutiset/seitseman_vuoden_takaraja_hiillostaa_n... http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/kotimaa.shtml/opintoajan-rajaus-on-vauhdittanut-opintoja/2012/08/1592019 http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/kotimaa.shtml/opintoajan-rajaus-o... I couldn't find an English source for this, sorry. Perhaps Google Translate will help. There is a caveat in the law, which is that universities can give extensions to the studies as they wish, and most students who request it do get it. But it's still a strong message from the government and there are ~400 students at the moment that have their studies interrupted because of this law. Also Anita Lehikoinen from the Ministry of Education says that "funding to universities are partly decided by the amount of students who achieve 45 study points (points awarded for completing parts of the curriculum) in a given year" ( http://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2010/02/pitka-ura/ http://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2010/02/pitka-ura/ ) So there is a clear incentive for universities to push students into graduating quickly. edit: Found an English source, this is an instructional material of Aalto University for exchange students, mentioning the study right: https://into.aalto.fi/display/enmasterarts/Study+right+and+the+duration+of+the+degree https://into.aalto.fi/display/enmasterarts/Study+right+and+t...
    - pasiaj 14y ago
      NPT
Mvandenbergh 14y ago
I think it can be seductive to engage in this kind of thinking but it's no more conclusive than "Sillicon Valley is in the US because of low taxes". Other European countries with strong social safety nets don't necessarily have large startup scenes.

by rdouble 14y ago

antris 14y ago

Linux would have never happened if Linus Torvalds didn't have a chance to "slack off" in Helsinki University with taxpayer money. The whole thing started as a hobby project. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux#The_creation_of_Linux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux#The_creation_o... Unfortunately, the times are changing in Finland, too, as politicians are pushing for legislation to force students to finish their studies within tighter time frames.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
hjn341 14y ago
Do you happen to have a link to some writing on those proposed changes in legislation? Thanks!
- antris 14y ago
  There was a legislation about a maximum period of 7 years for doing both the bachelor's and the master's degree. This would mean a student could lose his permission to be enrolled in the university as a student and graduate: http://yle.fi/uutiset/seitseman_vuoden_takaraja_hiillostaa_nyt_ikuista_opiskelijaa/5742927 http://yle.fi/uutiset/seitseman_vuoden_takaraja_hiillostaa_n... http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/kotimaa.shtml/opintoajan-rajaus-on-vauhdittanut-opintoja/2012/08/1592019 http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/kotimaa.shtml/opintoajan-rajaus-o... I couldn't find an English source for this, sorry. Perhaps Google Translate will help. There is a caveat in the law, which is that universities can give extensions to the studies as they wish, and most students who request it do get it. But it's still a strong message from the government and there are ~400 students at the moment that have their studies interrupted because of this law. Also Anita Lehikoinen from the Ministry of Education says that "funding to universities are partly decided by the amount of students who achieve 45 study points (points awarded for completing parts of the curriculum) in a given year" ( http://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2010/02/pitka-ura/ http://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2010/02/pitka-ura/ ) So there is a clear incentive for universities to push students into graduating quickly. edit: Found an English source, this is an instructional material of Aalto University for exchange students, mentioning the study right: https://into.aalto.fi/display/enmasterarts/Study+right+and+the+duration+of+the+degree https://into.aalto.fi/display/enmasterarts/Study+right+and+t...
  - pasiaj 14y ago
    NPT

Mvandenbergh 14y ago

I think it can be seductive to engage in this kind of thinking but it's no more conclusive than "Sillicon Valley is in the US because of low taxes". Other European countries with strong social safety nets don't necessarily have large startup scenes.