3 ms·
Brazil needs a change in culture in order for the startup ecosystem to succeed. Most of the people don't have the "I want to be an entrepreneur" mentality. The
by goshx 12y ago
Brazil needs a change in culture in order for the startup ecosystem to succeed.
Most of the people don't have the "I want to be an entrepreneur" mentality. They are looking for well paid careers when choosing the field they want to graduate in. Creating a startup does not even cross their minds because they are not aware that it is a possibility.
They want stability... like working for the government.
For the ones that want to be entrepreneurs, the mentality is either the mom and pop shop, where they will spend their lives on and never really make real money or the ones that happen to create big companies but stay in there forever as well.
VC's, Angels, investment, exit... a very low % of college students know what these are about.
I dare to say that Brazilians are not used to take risks... even the ones that are creating these copycats. Why do you think they are doing it this way? Less risk.
Disclosure: I am Brazilian and during my college days starting a company was not even talked about.
- 3327 12y agofully agree this is the single largest cultural problem I have seen as a gringo running a brazil only startup. Hiring is a pain despite amazing packages, great benefits and working with cool people in a SF style setup. I think no large deal ever hapening outside of buscape and the second fact that most VC's got Nailed in the past 3 years paying high prices inthe ecommerce boom and are also writing off many of the investments is cooling the non existing startup scene. That being said MSFT is opening an incubator in Rio. Technical talent is there but the startup culture is not. And as you said most importantly an appetite for Risk.
- tmcz26 12y agoMom and pop shops are a huge source of job creation everywhere, and there is nothing wrong with opening up a bakery or a gadget shop. I'm always impressed by the number of nail salons and 'padarias' opening up. Brazil has a lot of entrepreneurs. The franchise market grows at double digits. We you (and Rudi) are talking about is, specifically, tech companies. There you have a point.. college graduates are not familiar with the VC world and few talk about starting their own software company. Taking risk in the US is different than in Brazil. The US has the LLC and bankruptcy laws, which shields the founders if it goes under. Brazil makes the people responsible for every financial commitment, and the bankruptcy laws are impossible to understand. If your company tanks, you personally go under too. Disclosure: I'm also Brazilian and currently a co-founder at a São Paulo-based tech startup.
- swah 12y agoYep, my parents are small business owners and my mother's "dream" is that I had a job in the public sector, due to job security and better salaries.