I am italian, I have a full-time job in an IT private company, I own an house and I know why you can't create a startup in Italy: money, burocracy and taxes.
In Italy banks or companies will never invest money in your startup if you can't cover at least all the money you need in 4/5 years. If you dare to found a new company and you fail then your life is destroyed. You are tagged as "cattivo pagatore" (bad payer) and you will never obtain money in form of loans.
Italy is a very bad place if you want to make something innovative.
You blaming it on outside forces (money, burocracy and taxes) just validates one of the points in the article.
I am German, working some years for FIAT, and did my PhD in Italy, but left right after graduation for the US. The article perfectly summarizes the reasons I didn't want to stay and start something in Italy.
You are right, but those outside forces are really strong. I had to fight only to study abroad, which is seen as a waste of time and possible drawback on your cv (because you spent time studying abroad instead of studying for real...).
The only way not to sound like an Italian just complaining about outside forces is to leave the country. But than that is also not useful for Italy. So, you see the problem?
The only way not to sound like an Italian just complaining about outside forces is to leave the country.
there is by definition one simple way not to sound like someone complaining about outside forces: don't complain.
If you start by the assumption that it's impossible to do so in country X you have already decided to be in the "it's not my fault" camp.
There are two aspects to this, that people are missing:
1) On a personal level, you absolutely must be optimistic and try and do everything you can to create a company if that's what you want, but also to push the system to change and improve.
2) Statistically speaking, it's pretty obvious that messy taxes, bureaucracy and so on, do have negative effects at the margin, so taken as a whole, they're absolutely a valid thing to complain about.
The key distinction is to stay as far as possible from the poisonous ponderings about how it's not possible to do anything and it's all stacked against me and blah blah blah, which is all just a big excuse not to try.
I am not sure where are you from. I come from the area described in "Gomorra" by Saviano. We have rampant criminality and corruption. People get actually shouted around here.
Those are outside forces that will come and knock to your door as soon as your activity start to be profitable. People will ask you for money or favors or they will just make your life difficult just so they don't have to envy your success.
So, you are right, but you are also taking a superficial look at the problem. Of course you can start a company, but you will have to be much stronger and determinate and be able to deal with the fact that nobody, not even your family and friends, will support you.
small town close to rome (with a decent share of corruption, crime and immobilism) but how does that relate?
I was only stating that the reasoning in your previous comment is incorrect (which, by the way, it's about italy, not your area).
I am not dumb enough to disagree on the general topic of "it's harder to start a company in corleone than in san francisco",
I'm just worried by blanket statements from young people that the only chance to succeed is to change country.
Consider antirez, who ran a (successful, AFAIK) company from sicily or ciaopeople which has a decent business and is based in naples.
It's harder yes, but the first N steps should be trying and failing, and only N+1 should be giving up to blaming outside forces.
Couldn't agree more. Is it difficult to create a successful startup in Italy? Yes. Is it impossible? Absolutely not. I'm trying with mine and I'm pretty confident I'll do it in a few more months.
Respectfully disagree, up to a point. You can create startups in Italy (people do, and some actually succeed). True, bureaucracy and taxes hit you hard (but marginal corporate taxes in the USA are high nonetheless, aren't they?). True, if you are flagged as a bad payer, you end up in a very difficult situation (I guess that if you have a bad credit history in the USA, they will not put red carpets in front of you).
But just saying "it can't be done" makes it impossible for you to do it. Period.
Me: working as an associate in a VC firm. Yes, operating in Italy. And yes, it is difficult, but we (as a startup community) are creating momentum and we can see something happening.
Bottom line: banks do not invest money in your company, they lend you money, that's why they require a positive cash flow NOW.
the banking system of the eurozone (continental europe) is very conservative and not keen on risk. there's nothing that resemble venture capitalism in the old continent (with the notable exception of the UK which is a member of the Commonwealth). I think that the european system is more secure for private wealth (I assumed that having seen what happened to some banks in the US in 2008) but it's showing its weakness these days because it's putting entire countries on their knees.
In Italy banks or companies will never invest money in your startup if you can't cover at least all the money you need in 4/5 years. If you dare to found a new company and you fail then your life is destroyed. You are tagged as "cattivo pagatore" (bad payer) and you will never obtain money in form of loans.
Italy is a very bad place if you want to make something innovative.