8/12/2019 EU Startup Ecosystem - More Hype Than Reality

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While you were boasting about your localstartup ‘ecosystem’, others were trying to

actually build itA long rant about why people should resist the urge to boast about their local tech startup scene

with unnecessary and counter-productive hyperbole – because it doesn’t really help anyone at

all.

DRobin Wauters(http://tech.eu/author/robin/)

Co-founder and editor-in-chief of 

Tech.eu, with previous stints atThe Next Web and TechCrunch

under his belt. Deeply in love

with his family, technology,

traveling and Belgian beer.

Posted in EU startups(http://tech.eu/on/eu-startups/),European startups(http://tech.eu/on/european-startups/)

UPDATEDMarch 17th, 2014.

ue to the nature of my work and our dedication

(http://tech.eu/inside/42/we-have-lift-off/) to covering all of 

Europe’s tech innovation (http://tech.eu/about-us/), not just the

movers and shakers in the major hubs, I travel quite a lot in order to

meet with interesting founders and investors from across the

continent.

When people ask me where I’m from and where I reside (the answer

to both of which is ‘Belgium, very close to Brussels’), a good chunk

of them follow up to inquire ‘what the local startup ecosystem is

like’.

My response is always something to the tune of ‘obviously small,

but growing, communities are starting to form and mature, and thereare some interesting startups – like X and Y – doing some amazing

things in their fields’. Nothing to boast about, nothing to be ashamed about.

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And I really make an effort not to use the word ‘ecosystem’ when it comes to Belgium during

those conversations – because there really isn’t one to speak of, at least not yet (and that’s

alright).

Coincidentally, that’s also exactly how I feel about many of Europe’s smaller regional tech startup

scenes, from Copenhagen to Amsterdam to Prague to Bucharest to Athens.

Europe’s emerging startup hotspots are, well, still emerging

They’re compact, but growing. Compelling to follow, but still in the very early stages of truly

developing an ecosystem. Some activity and startups that jump out, but mostly a fledgling

community that’s – crucially – starting to take shape around them. And a handful of key people

in the driver’s seat – there are always a few – who are often the unsung heroes of the country or

region.

That’s all very good and noteworthy. Of course things could always be better, and the maturation

swifter, but overall you can almost sense that there’s a relatively slow but steady

(http://tech.eu/features/647/european-tech-exits-2014/) evolution taking place pretty much

across the board (or map, in this case). It’s genuinely fascinating to watch

(http://tech.eu/features/186/ignorance-is-remiss/).

And it’s always nice when there are people feeling the urge to give their local startup stars and

tech clout more visibility. We’re enormous fans of the likes of ArcticStartup(http://arcticstartup.com/), Inventures (http://inventures.eu/), Rude Baguette

(http://www.rudebaguette.com/), Venture Village (http://venturevillage.eu/), Goal Europe

(http://goaleurope.com/) and plenty of other regionals blogs and news sites, each of which have

a mission to shine a light on what’s happening on the ground, whether that means the Nordics,

France, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey or wherever. It makes a lot of difference,

especially when it’s done in English so a broader audience can take note.

But there’s a certain kind of coverage coming from those and other sites that really puts me off.

The kind where people publish absurd claims such as “X is the new Silicon Valley” or “Y will be

the new center of activity, cfr. Tech City UK” or “Z might just become Europe’s next major startup

hub”.

No, it isn’t. No, it likely won’t ever be, either. And that’s fine.

A misplaced sense of local pride

I understand where it comes from. You don’t even have to be that much of a nationalist to look at

your local startup scene – particularly if you’re knee deep in it – and feel the need to tell the world

how awesome it is. Why can’t everyone else see it? Why aren’t we placed on the same pedestal

 (http://twitter.com/share?url=http://on.tech.eu/1icXM9a&text=On @tech_eu:

While+you+were+boasting+about+your+local+startup+%E2%80%98ecosystem%E2%80%99

 (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://on.tech.eu/1icXM9a) (https://

url=http://on.tech.eu/1icXM9a) (mailto:?Subject=While you were boasting about yo

trying to actually build it&Body= http://on.tech.eu/1icXM9a)

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as Silicon Valley (http://www.technologyreview.com/view/521486/why-the-next-silicon-valley-

doesnt-really-exist/), Tel Aviv, London or Berlin? Just look at what X has accomplished, and what

Y is doing!

But it’s not because you’re a fan and make valid (if slightly exaggerated) points that people will

suddenly start consistently paying closer attention. It’s by building and supporting more

examples to point at, by professionalizing the environment, by assembling and organising a

community, by advocating the verifiable assets – not just by shouting loudly in a futile effort to

‘rise above the noise’.

It all stems from a sense of pride, but a misplaced one, in my opinion. Every time someone feels

the need to shout from the rooftops how their local ecosystem are able to compete with the best

of them, I ask myself: why does this perception of competition exist in the first place? What does

it matter?

This opinion piece (well, rant) was prompted

(https://twitter.com/robinwauters/status/445465769934336000) by a post on Bitspiration, a

recently started site that aims to highlight tech startup news and more from Poland. Entitled “5

Reasons Krakow Will Top Global Startup Map” (http://bitspiration.com/featured/5-reasons-

krakow-will-top-global-startup-map/) (sic), it was basically a list of things that are great about

the second-largest city of Poland. It had some interesting information in it, yet all of it was

published in vain, as far as I’m concerned, largely because of the ridiculously hyperbolic headline.

Again, I get it. I’ve been to Poland, and I’ve roamed around Krakow’s startup community and met

a few of its key actors. No doubt that the way it’s developing is interesting, because there are lots

of similarities to other places in Europe (which, in turn, makes it something of a burgeoning

trend).

But does anyone really believe Krakow will ever top the global startup map, whatever that

means?

Why not just point out the strengths (http://www.thenordicweb.com/2014/03/14/the-rise-of-

norways-startup-scene/) without proving yourself oblivious to the weaknesses, so your audience

can take informed decisions and judge the worth based on facts mixed with observations?

Why not try to identify the good along with the bad (http://tech.eu/features/779/corporate-run-

startup-accelerators-good-bad-plain-ugly/)? What does one gain by this senseless boasting?

More helicopters, fewer navel-gazers please

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Since Tech.eu was launched, I’ve received quite a lot of offers from people suggesting they guest-

write about their local startup ecosystems. Up until now, I’ve categorically refused to commission

contributions of that kind, even if they’d be completely free of charge, because I know how

incapable of taking a helicopter’s view of things people can be when they’re passionate about

something.

I can (http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/05/01/barcelona-startup-ecosystem-deep-dive). That

doesn’t necessarily mean you need to agree with or even listen to me, but at least you’ll always

know I make an effort to look at the bigger picture. I champion, but I’m not a cheerleader.

I know that I could write a post about what a wasteland for tech startup activity e.g. Italy is or at

the very least appears to be, and immediately get retorts from people who ‘are actually there’ who

will happily tell me why I’m delusional. Some of that would probably result in a very worthwhile

discussion, but I know a lot of reactions would get lost in an ocean of comments about how I’m

 just not seeing the light or understanding the subtleties or misrepresenting the facts.

And again, I won’t fully understand the need for that particular type of rhetoric. It doesn’t help

anyone.

Perhaps people simply desire a sense of belonging and being able to ‘play in the big league’ –

understandable human feelings and thoughts to have – and therefore feel the urge to write about

their local tech startup scene with added hyperbole. Perhaps it’s because it will likely garner more

attention than articles with more intellectually honest headlines. Perhaps because it can

definitely be frustrating not to be recognised by the media as much as others – for whatever

reason.

I don’t know, but until the hyperbole stops, it will actually stand in the way of the progress we all

seek.

As much as I dislike the phrase “Europe needs to focus on building bridges, not valleys”, there’s a

grain of truth in it that is difficult to ignore. So the next time you feel the urge to talk about the

European tech industry or your local startup scene, take a step back and absorb all the

information, data and facts available to you, make up your mind and write from a position of 

‘offence’ rather than ‘defence’.

I promise I’ll read it attentively and tell you why you’ve got it all backwards.

Just kidding – just try to leave out the hyperbole and we’ll get along just fine.

Featured image credit : Denis Vrublevski / Shutterstock (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-

111215291/stock-photo-map-route-marked.html?src=lb-22345823)

8/12/2019 EU Startup Ecosystem - More Hype Than Reality

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Posted in EU startups (http://tech.eu/on/eu-startups/), European startups (http://tech.eu/on/european-

startups/)

KEEP READING

(http://tech.eu/features/804/eu-accelerators-research-seed-db-europe/) A spotlight on the EUstartup accelerator ecosystem: quantitative and qualitative analysis (part 1)(http://tech.eu/features/804/eu-accelerators-research-seed-db-europe/)

(http://tech.eu/features/779/corporate-run-startup-accelerators-good-bad-plain-ugly/)Corporate-run startup accelerators: the good, the bad and the plain ugly(http://tech.eu/features/779/corporate-run-startup-accelerators-good-bad-plain-ugly/)

8/12/2019 EU Startup Ecosystem - More Hype Than Reality

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2 Comments

• •

Ramon Suarez  •  

Instead of boasting, what people should do is work to build it.

• •

Gilbert West  •  

I agree that not being in the ecosy stem or hub or whatever term people choose next is alright,

 but you should have easy access to one and place yourself in it from time to time. It's useful

to step up a bit and not get complacent.

 When you are in an ecosystem, you k now it. You can feel it in the fabric of the city, or at

least the few square kilometres of that city that host it. Wherever you sit down there will be

startup people to the left and right of you. People will be carrying out job interviews in cafés

or hustling to get to their next sale. In other words, clear signals of economic activity.

Oh and the coffee is usually better than in Brussels :-p

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