I can't agree enough. I'm British, and I wouldn't want to change that for the world. But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm. Entrepreneurship is something that happens to other people - stereotypically, middle-aged men tinkering in their garages with clockwork radios.
I've somehow ended up in Silicon Valley, and the difference in aspirations is immense. To some extent, people dream of running companies far before they are capable of doing so - but this is what, over time, lets them build the fearlessness they need. By getting used to being out of your depth you can focus on making your enterprise a success, rather than how scary it all is.
The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK. There's just some key cultural difference. It's the same aspect of character that makes Americans less afraid to strike up conversation with strangers.
> The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK.
You're assuming something about what happens when you fail in the US that isn't true.
> But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm.
That "UK dream" is the US backup plan.
Seriously - health insurance and welfare isn't one of the things on my "what happens if I fail" list because I'll just go get a job.
Oh, and the health insurance costs aren't actually that significant. I know, because I've had the backup plan fail and had to do them out of pocket. Since I'm "old", I'm pretty much a worse case.
All this is totally dependent on your personal background.
It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable - but I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college) unless you have a pretty good parental safety net. However, we see it all the time from US kids - and not so much from the UK.
> It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable
You're assuming something about age discrimination....
> I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college)
Huh? Why are you assuming that a youngster is less hirable/desirable after the biz that they start fails? They're not, they're more hirable/desirable, at least in the US. (Of course, if they weren't very hireable before, that may carry over, but we're not talking about those folks.)
> unless you have a pretty good parental safety net.
Comments
I can't agree enough. I'm British, and I wouldn't want to change that for the world. But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm. Entrepreneurship is something that happens to other people - stereotypically, middle-aged men tinkering in their garages with clockwork radios.
I've somehow ended up in Silicon Valley, and the difference in aspirations is immense. To some extent, people dream of running companies far before they are capable of doing so - but this is what, over time, lets them build the fearlessness they need. By getting used to being out of your depth you can focus on making your enterprise a success, rather than how scary it all is.
The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK. There's just some key cultural difference. It's the same aspect of character that makes Americans less afraid to strike up conversation with strangers.
> The irony is, with private health insurance and a limited welfare system, the penalty for taking a risk and failing can be a lot worse in the US than the UK.
You're assuming something about what happens when you fail in the US that isn't true.
> But growing up in the UK, ambitious young engineers dream of going to work for Microsoft or having a successful career within a big accountancy firm.
That "UK dream" is the US backup plan.
Seriously - health insurance and welfare isn't one of the things on my "what happens if I fail" list because I'll just go get a job.
Oh, and the health insurance costs aren't actually that significant. I know, because I've had the backup plan fail and had to do them out of pocket. Since I'm "old", I'm pretty much a worse case.
All this is totally dependent on your personal background.
It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable - but I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college) unless you have a pretty good parental safety net. However, we see it all the time from US kids - and not so much from the UK.
> It may well be easier if you're "old", since you've already had a chance to establish a career and make yourself hireable
You're assuming something about age discrimination....
> I can imagine it takes some balls to try to start a business immediately after graduating (or instead of going to college)
Huh? Why are you assuming that a youngster is less hirable/desirable after the biz that they start fails? They're not, they're more hirable/desirable, at least in the US. (Of course, if they weren't very hireable before, that may carry over, but we're not talking about those folks.)
> unless you have a pretty good parental safety net.
That's not particularly relevant.