| "Honest startups"? Have you lost money yourself? You seem really bitter about this. Sensible startups will never have a problem raising money, that's if they even need it. A lack of local funding does not mean that funding cannot be secured from sources outside Ireland -- plenty of Irish startups have done that btw. I think your view of what's going on in Ireland is tainted, and it's not the same as the property boom or the financial crisis associated with it. For one thing, there is no "startup boom" in Ireland. At least not in the same way as there was in property. The level of investment isn't even in the same ball park. Most startups can't even get a bank loan of a few grand, for starters. And banks are not cozying up to founders in the same way they did to property developers. There are no dodgy dealings going on behind closed doors, and no one has the ear of a Minister. You're not going to see your average taxi driver borrow to invest in a startup because he's suddenly rich on paper. And unlike the finite amount of land available to develop in places like Dublin, there are no such constraints on good business models, with good market potential, backed by a strong team. Also, I don't remember there ever being a property "scene". What we need is a healthy startup ecosystem. I've been active in the "startup scene" since 2007. I've seen the growth of startups, I've seen the rise of a strong tech community, I've seen the rise of all the accelerators. The level of investment has risen, but not at the same pace or scale. These are some of the necessary component for a healthy ecosystem. And like in nature-based ecosystems, things die to make way for new lifeforms. Anyway, I'm rambling now... need coffee :) Your view is your view, but I don't see things the way you've painted them. |