11 votes

How should Europe build its own Silicon Valley?

8 comments

  1. [3]
    bl4kers
    Link
    Silicon Valley has a good track record of, and is arguably financed entirely on the premise of, finding a market to "disrupt" by creating technology that skirts past existing laws/regulations and...

    Silicon Valley has a good track record of, and is arguably financed entirely on the premise of, finding a market to "disrupt" by creating technology that skirts past existing laws/regulations and engaging in anticompetitive behavior to create monopolies in the long-term. With that in mind, I don't know why Europe would look at Silicon Valley for inspiration.

    If they want to spur more technology companies, the traditional methods of subsidizing a sector should work decently well. If they want to compete 1:1 with Silicon Valley money, that would require, for lack of a better phrase, selling their soul (e.g. privacy, labor laws, profit over people)

    32 votes
    1. [2]
      kaffo
      Link Parent
      My exact thought. I saw the article and thought "why would Europe want our own Silicon Valley?" In fact, isn't it healthy that the tech sector has a strong presense in many major cities across...

      My exact thought. I saw the article and thought "why would Europe want our own Silicon Valley?"

      In fact, isn't it healthy that the tech sector has a strong presense in many major cities across several countries rather than having the issue the US is having right now where the land value in Cali is so outrageous that noone can live there without outrageous tech wages?

      I've always liked the idea you can basically move where you want in the EU with tech and you'll get a job (for the most part) and its more true now if you're ok with remote.
      The US rite of passage by having to live with 6 other tech Bros in a bungalow in LA for 2 years to kick off your career working for a start up sounds like hell to me.
      (Yes that last one was a bit tongue in cheek, I know plenty of people have careers outside Cali)

      18 votes
      1. raze2012
        Link Parent
        Honestly the bungalow wouldn't be that bad if job interviews weren't a circus and a half as of the last few years. Pretending to exist but instead just data mining candidates, bizarre peronality...

        Honestly the bungalow wouldn't be that bad if

        1. job interviews weren't a circus and a half as of the last few years. Pretending to exist but instead just data mining candidates, bizarre peronality tests, multiple rounds of interviews for even entry level jobs, and tons of ghosting

        2. even a small fraction of those non-government jobs had some sort of steady progression. Instead you're job hopping every few years no matter how good you are. so after that circus, you do your work and are thrown back in for months of trickery.

        the decreased buying power is just a cherry on top. you'd at least know 15 years ago that here was a light at the end of that tunnel we call "entry level". Not so much today.

        6 votes
  2. FridgeSeal
    Link
    Whilst I can’t read the original article because it’s paywalled, I think there’s an interesting kernel that is being missed by many existing comments (at time of writing). I think people are...

    Whilst I can’t read the original article because it’s paywalled, I think there’s an interesting kernel that is being missed by many existing comments (at time of writing). I think people are getting hung up on the nature of Silicon Valley, and are missing the more interesting point. It’s not “how do we replicate a parasitic, VC-funded, user hostile horde of companies in Europe?”^1, it’s “how do we create an a cradle for innovation and attract talent to create things that lets Europe rival America/etc for power/influence”

    I don’t think it’s out of the realm of feasibility, and it would be really interesting to contemplate what “us-tech-company-of-your-choice-but-done-EU-style” would look like.

    1. In the other hand, this article is from the FT, creating a parasitic-hyper-capitalist industry is something they would love…
    9 votes
  3. karim
    Link
    Europe doesn't need Silicone Valley, the world doesn't need any Parasite valleys. One Parasite valley is already too much. Parasite valley got to where it is because the US Gov is a pushover when...

    Europe doesn't need Silicone Valley, the world doesn't need any Parasite valleys. One Parasite valley is already too much.

    Parasite valley got to where it is because the US Gov is a pushover when it comes to internal regulations. Parasite Valley gave rise to some of the world's most evil and disgusting companies, more evil than weapon manufacturers (at least those are useful), and more evil than drug cartels and casinos. And all that wealth just enriches a select few.

    Parasite valle companies use their infinite cash to bankrupt all competition, then rent seek the hell oit the market they dominant.

    We're talking about companies that inflict severe addictions on their victims to extract as much money as possible. No sane person coil possibly be ok with that.

    7 votes
  4. Deely
    Link
    Somehow stop selling EU based companies to US? On my memory this happened two times, and thats only companies that I was working with.

    Somehow stop selling EU based companies to US?
    On my memory this happened two times, and thats only companies that I was working with.

    2 votes