Matt Clifford, co-founder of London accelerator Entrepreneur First, explains why operating in a less mature tech ecosystem allowed them to challenge Silicon Valley consensus about team formation.
“I actually think we would have never got off the ground in Silicon Valley because the people would have just said, you know, you just can't do this.”
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More from Matt Clifford
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Clifford: Top UK tech grads entering finance dropped from 65% to 10%
“Four years ago when we started Entrepreneur First I know this from a recent conversation with a dean of engineering at one of the, you know, top technical institutions in the world that's very close to here, you know, they said 65% of their computer science gr…”
Matt CliffordJan 2, 2019▶ 2:25a16z Podcast | Building Tech Startups in a Place Where Tech Isn’t Everything
Insight
Clifford: Startups can arbitrage US capital and lower UK engineering salaries
“I think the other thing we're increasingly seeing very strongly with our companies is that the cost of engineering talent in the Valley relative to here means that there is actually, has Ted said, an arbitrage play available of raising US money on US terms and…”
Matt CliffordJan 2, 2019▶ 16:07a16z Podcast | Building Tech Startups in a Place Where Tech Isn’t Everything
AssertionSupported
Clifford: UK angel tax incentives significantly boosted startup investment
“Some of the tax breaks for angel investors, which undoubtedly have had a huge impact on both who and how much is investing in, in, in the UK.”
Matt CliffordJan 2, 2019▶ 21:26a16z Podcast | Building Tech Startups in a Place Where Tech Isn’t Everything
AssertionSupported
Clifford: The Skype mafia is actively recycling talent and capital in Europe
“The Skype mafia, I think, now is actually pretty active as investors and entrepreneurs, and that recycling of talent and capital is starting to happen.”
Matt CliffordJan 2, 2019▶ 5:30a16z Podcast | Building Tech Startups in a Place Where Tech Isn’t Everything
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Clifford: London's local tech market is too small for single-market startups
“You know, there isn't a big enough tech ecosystem that you can that you can serve that community alone.”
Matt CliffordJan 2, 2019▶ 12:05a16z Podcast | Building Tech Startups in a Place Where Tech Isn’t Everything
AssertionSupported
Clifford: Songkick was likely the first UK startup backed by Sequoia
“Songkick's a great example of that. Maybe the first British company to take funding from Sequoia”
Matt CliffordJan 2, 2019▶ 4:03a16z Podcast | Building Tech Startups in a Place Where Tech Isn’t Everything
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