Innovation, wealth and economic independence.

Today I was reading Graham's idea about Inequality and Risk, and I couldn't avoid asking myself this question all the time... are startups as necessary in the EU economy as in US?

The logic answer is yes, because startups facilitate a competitive market and create dynamism in the economy, avoiding blue chip companies' complacency.

But is this really linked with the amount of innovation in a country?

I understand that a startup is the easiest and cheapest way to innovation in a country.
It is easy, get a group of new graduates, they don't expect a huge salary and have anything to lose, so ask them to take the risk of applying the new findings and theories learned in their studies into the "real world" and wait till some of these groups discover how to best market them.
Voila!, now we have a new company threaten the stablished power, a bunch of millioner nerds and a better off community thanks to the leap in technology which will make our life longer or more pleasant or both.
This is great, but is it really the only way to innovate?

Aren't the universities itself without startups involved the ones which should nurture the society with innovation?

Isn't rewarding enough for a scientist to discover something completely new and revolutionary, the desire of knowledge?

Are all the novel prices focused in maximising profits or in solving misteries?

Are the people who say "I want to be rich" really meaning it? Or do the really care about having enough money in order to not to have to worry about it?

Can a country that realies in its scientist community compete angainst another driven by selfish and ambitious wall street sharks?

Who's been more important in human history Einstein or Onassis, Stephen Hawkins or Bill Gates?

Is this society really $$ driven? Why?

Internet job search engines

I don't even remember the last time I posted something in this Blog, the MBA doesn't leave with to much free time...
But today I was shocked by this email:

***************************************************************************************************
Hola Ruiz,
en Monster hemos encontrado un puesto que te puede interesar. Pulsa en Solicitar online si quieres optar a este trabajo.
Puedes encontrar muchos puestos más en buscartrabajo.monster.es y asegúrate de que has enviado tu CV en micuenta.monster.es.

Atentamente
www.monster.es

ES-CAT-Barcelona-Programadores Junior ASP

Nuestro cliente es una joven y muy dinámica empresa de software actualmente en modo de rápida expansión, enfocada especialmente en el desarrollo de negocio a nivel internacional y precisa incorporar:
Programadores Junior ASP

Funciones:
Formando parte de un equipo de jóvenes profesionales de la programación, emplearán sus conocimientos de ASP y SQL en el desarrollo de nuevas modalidades de las exitosas aplicaciones que comercializa la empresa.

Requisitos:
Experiencia profesional de al menos un año desarrollando en entorno ASP con SQL.
Ganas y capacidad de aprender y actitud orientada al trabajo en equipo.

Se Ofrece:
Sueldo: 15.000 ? - 18.000? según experiencia.
**************************************************************************************************

For the non-Spanish speakers this basically means that Monster found my ideal job based on the data I stored in its site.
And basically in accordance with them, my ideal job is to program ASP applications for 15.000 EUR before tax a year, which makes about 1.000 EUR a month, having a month 160 hours we get to the thrilling figure of 6,25 EUR per hour. Grrrreeeaaaat!!!

Not needed to say that an average programmer in any other European city like Dublin or London is making 250 EUR per hour, and YES the cost of life in Barcelona is not THAT low. So I don't see the bargain, maybe for the company you might think, but I rather think that the problem is that this "youth and very dynamic software company, which expansion is focused in developing an international business ", and which wants you to "develop new version of its successful applications" cannot afford to pay more to its employees because its poor quality standards and ridiculous business skills. If at leat they would use this cheap workforce to developed salable software like India.

And this isn't only about Engineers, I guess the same happens in many other professions and you may know better than me.

I don't have too much to add appart from being grateful to the web site Monsters, which by the way broadcasted a one million dollars Ad in the Super Bowl break time some years ago, for giving me the opportunity to apply for this astonish job offer.

Oh Lord blessed the day I decided to escape from the Spanish's software industry evil power.