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Comment by pg | Hacker News Reader

YC is in other countries. 5 of the 20 startups in the current batch have non-US founders.

In fact, non-US founders seem to do better on average than US founders. I'm not sure exactly why; probably because they have to be more committed, and commitment is the biggest predictor of success in a startup. But whatever the reason, YC clearly works internationally.

I think software/web startups are basically international now. It's all one big market. Now all we need to do is explain this to the governments.

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There was an article on the San Jose Mercury News last year that talked about the percentage of foreign-born founders of successful startups in the Valley was around 40-50%. If I find a link, I'll post it.

Anyway, they interviewed a number of foreign born founders, and the consensus was that it took so much risk to move to another country as an immigrant, the risk of founding a startup really seemed small in comparison.

Having grown up in Central America in the 80's myself, I'd also postulate that you're able to think outside the box a bit better as well. Why? Because to the immigrant, everything in a new country is so profoundly different to begin with, that you barely see the boxes that so many other native-born people are hung up on.

int. students graduate with 44% of STEM (Science, Tech, Eng., Math.) degrees

"I think software/web startups are basically international now. It's all one big market. Now all we need to do is explain this to the governments."

But there is a big difference between applications and their usage in certain international markets. Even if web applications are international, many apps are mainly focused on a North American/ Western European market.

pg, what is your opinion on starting something on the lines of startup school in international locations?

Startup school is even more international, because it's less of a commitment to come to the US for a weekend than for 3 months.

Sure, you have to fly and find somewhere to stay, but you have to do that from most places in the US too.

5 of the 20 startups in the current batch have non-US founders.

Can you name the countries?

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