In this post we: Present a primer on the startup funding graduation rate in Europe; Find that both European and US VC-backed companies show a steep drop off rate between Seed and Series A; Find that the startup graduation rate in Europe and the US shows exponential decay; Find evidence suggesting that Seed investments have been increasing …
Retirement and the silver economy
Societies are experiencing a problem upon retirement. People feel stripped of their meaning and purpose, which is often strongly connected to their career. This feeling of emptiness is provoked not only by the fact that someone lost his/her job, but by the fear of losing friends and a place in society. A study published in the Journal …
Safeguarding SMEs mental health in future outbreak situations
Europe has around 25 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that together represent the backbone of Europe’s economy. These account for more than 99% of all businesses in the EU. SMEs are responsible for more than half of EU-28 GDP, employ around two-thirds of the European workforce and are responsible for 85% of job creation. …
Is the 4-day workweek as foolish as it sounds?
Recent events have upended working life, changing how and where we work and live, and inspired many to guess on how economies and our lives will forever change. Some argue everything will go back to normal. Others that everything will change. I believe some things will change, to a certain extent, but that many things …
8 books for Humanity in the Era of AI
It’s safe to say we’ve gone digital. It’s around us every moment of every day. Internet, smartphones, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Zoom videoconferences, Siri and Alexa, Google Chromecast, Big Data, Internet-of-Things, Cloud Computing, Robotic Process Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Chatbots. You name it. This is a highly fast-paced era we live in, both at home …
Should you apply for an incubator or an accelerator?
The startup arena has its own vernacular. Navigating through it isn’t always obvious. All the hype around entrepreneurship and innovation doesn’t help either. Often, so-called “experts” use terms erroneously, potentially misleading unaware first-time founders. Data show that entrepreneurs who get help in building their startups have increased chances of attracting investment. Both incubators and accelerators …
Human Resources as a catalyst for Innovation
Workforce engagement is low in Europe Recent stats show that up to 86% of the workforce in Europe is not engaged or actively disengaged from their work. This has serious implications for the bottom line of companies and the economy. Disengaged employees are disconnected from their companies and may be working against employers’ interests. This …
What kind of rejection is good for entrepreneurs?
As a founder, expect rejection. But above all, learn from every single “no” you get. All entrepreneurs experience it and building up resilience is the only way forward. Hearing “no” is a daily routine for entrepreneurs. They hear it over lunch, dinner, over the phone, from someone leaving a meeting early or even from their friends over …
10 books you must read before starting a business
All entrepreneurs make mistakes. Quite often mistakes lead to wasted opportunities, time and even money. But in fact, mistakes are part of the excitement of doing it. Otherwise, it would just be a dull and easy exercise. Anybody would be able to do it. Knowing that you are outsmarting the challenges is a huge thrill …
Reducing innovation failure
Most of us are scared of failing. It’s normal and if you haven’t experienced it yet, trust me you are not doing anything worth your own time. Fear of failing can be immobilizing, and stop you from doing anything at all, from moving forward. I will do my best to be crystal clear. If a …