Cheers to the “European Tech”!

European tech is on fire! Not only do we produce more unicorns than ever but now prominent US investors are also calling the Europe startup market “a great market to invest in.”

To be honest, I’ve always considered these notions of “nationality”, “borders” or “countries” kind of outdated both for people and startups. After all, I’m French, European, founded a French startup, then a US one, and now I’m working for a US-used-to-be-French startup & the person I’m the closest to is American, born and raised 4,000 miles away from me.

But labeling someone as “American” or “European” can be positive! Instead of putting individuals in boxes, it can be a celebration of “common values”. Once acknowledged, they can be shared with others. Here is my first attempt to list some of the positive associations with European tech:

[Disclaimer 1] It’s way too systemic, insanely simplistic and my intent is not to reduce 400M people to a few words.

[Disclaimer 2] It’s a personal work in progress. But enough with the disclaimers?—?here they are:

• Technical excellence. Thanks to mathematical training, Europeans have a knack for science & technology. Not only engineers but also marketers are able to leverage this skill in tech startups.
• Ability to handle criticism. #nobullshit could be a European mantra. We’re used to giving and receiving the most honest and harsh feedback on earth.
• Persistence. For the better or worse, I’ve seen European entrepreneurs being able to stick to their ideas for years.
• Ability to handle diversity. Anywhere in Europe, you’re always less than 500 miles away from an other country. Thanks to programs like Erasmus, we’ve learned to handle cultural diversity and make it an advantage, rather than a obstacle.
• Ability to run on scarcity. Alban nailed it by stating that we know how to “put [every] dollar at work”.

# Bonus: work hard, party harder! Biggest disappointment for Europeans going to their first meetup in the US? The afterward drinks suck!

Any other suggestions? Let me know!

P.S. I’m happy to announce that I officially joined the fantastic Alban & Anthony as an organizer of the NYC European Tech Meetup, sponsored by Balderton & Spotify. Sign up if you’re in New York and get ready for some serious drinks afterwards, European style ;)