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Why Europe Keeps Undervaluing Its Own Startups

Absolutely had to share this one with you all.

It’s from the founder of HouseTrip - a European startup that launched before Airbnb with top VC backing and a great team. And yet, they lost to Airbnb right in Europe.

He responds to a WSJ article on why Europe lags in tech. Usual reasons: regulation, fragmentation, lack of funding. But he says the real issue is deeper - a lack of patriotism.

While the US and China actively promote their own startups, Europe tends to ignore or even dismiss theirs until they’ve been validated by Silicon Valley. He shares how European media hyped Airbnb before they even entered the market, while he had to spend millions just to get noticed.

The post isn’t just a rant - it’s how Europe has internalized a kind of tech inferiority complex. 🤦‍♂️

Why Europe Keeps Undervaluing Its Own Startups

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