While I agree with much of what you're saying here Robert, the issue is not the "tax dollars". It's the flow-on effects that a successful local startup culture and community bring. Think cross-pollination of ideas, mentoring, angel investment from cashed-up founders, local skills development (e.g Xooglers) etc. A thriving startup hub needs a critical mass that we're struggling to achieve here. Nikki and Peter had to take this opportunity - but we (at Fishburners and in Sydney entrepreneurial community in general) are the poorer for it.
We can compete with the best, but not if all it takes is Noodle Money to attract our best and brightest young entrepreneurs off-shore. On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 6:02 AM, Andrew Roberts <andrew.robe...@ephox.com> wrote: > As an Aussie who moved to the US I would say that the more encouragement and > support we can give for Australian entrepreneurs to move here the better. I > appreciate the patriotism to keep the best and brightest at home, but I > think it is misguided. > The San Francisco Bay Area is different. You can stay in Australia and be a > big fish in a small pond or come here and be a small fish in a big pond. The > more entrepreneurs we can get learning to thrive in the primordial swamp of > Silicon Valley, the better Australia will be. > Right now we have less than 100 influential Australians in the tech > community of the Bay Area. That is pathetic and I would love to see that > double within the next 2-3 years. One of the biggest barriers to success > that Australians have is that we are too cautious in making the jump here. > We need to suck it up, come to the big smoke and prove we can make it. > Australia only loses a relative few tax dollars by another 100 people > residing, often temporarily, overseas. The net benefits to Australia of > having more influential tech entrepreneurs expats has to exceed any lost tax > dollars. As an example, my company (that I founded in Brisbane but now have > the HQ in Palo Alto) employs more than 20 highly paying jobs back "home". > Their collective taxes far exceed in one year the amount of tax I have paid > in my lifetime. A lot of Aussies based here are also angel investing back in > Australia creating yet more jobs. > Your argument regarding acting is also flawed. Actors are not born with all > of their skills - they need to develop them. Australian actors coming to > Hollywood makes them better actors because they get exposed to the world's > best directors, producers, script writers - even makeup artists. They have > to work harder at their trade to rise above the competition. And the network > matters... the people there help them get to where they want to go - the > agents, the PR people, the older generations of actors who can mentor them, > etc. etc. Working in Hollywood takes them from being merely good to being > great. > I commend Nikki on everything she is doing but her story is a dime a dozen > over here. There are almost 100 YCombinator startups this 'intake'. And from > previous years' graduates, only a small percent make it. She should be here > for at least the next ten years learning, growing and proving what she is > made of with her current startup, and new ones. Can you imagine her skills > when she returns back to Oz? Or if she stays here, the help she can provide > to the next generation of Aussies trying to make it? > IMHO, as a community we should be encouraging more Aussies to make the jump. > Australians win almost 5% of the medals at the Olympics ... We should be > aiming to be at least 5% of all funding rounds, YCombinator intake, > 500Startups, etc. > > On Sun, Nov 20, 2011 at 8:17 PM, Jonathan Clarke <clarke.jonat...@gmail.com> > wrote: >> >> There seems to be a trend happening in Australian startups. Get into >> an Australian incubator, move to an American incubator, get >> investment from the US, move to the US. >> >> What gives? Australia is losing tax dollars as a result, it also is >> losing the future mentors for the next generation. >> >> On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 3:13 PM, simran <sim...@dn.gs> wrote: >> > Congrats to Niki... :) >> > and me thinks the first smh comment is a troll... >> > I do absolutely love the fact that people are finding success (hopefully >> > in >> > the shape and form they are looking for it in), but why our obsession >> > with >> > the US? >> > It's almost like an "australian actor is no good till they have made it >> > in >> > hollywood"? Perhaps they will have a chance to do bigger and better >> > things >> > as the facilities and context is bigger there, but they lose a lot along >> > the >> > way... in the same way as nicole kidman is hardly an "australian actor", >> > people that go there will become "american successes", they will take a >> > tinge of australian in them, but they will become every bit the >> > american! >> > i think it's great that people do find that path, but i believe more in >> > those that stick it out here, and really are "australian successes", not >> > "will be considered australian successes iff they succeed in the US in >> > their >> > context, in their environment, with their money". >> > signed, >> > (surprised by our obsession with the US!!!) >> > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach > Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for more > > Forum rules > 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs > > > To post to this group, send email to > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for more Forum rules 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs To post to this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en
