Matthias Schmidt

Matthias Schmidt

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Matthias Schmidt

European tech founder success story: 25 - Graduate from Karlsruhe University 26 - Unpaid internship at Deutsche Telekom 27 - First job as Junior IT Coordinator (€1,200/month) 31 - Quit to "start a business" 32 - Attend five EU startup workshops in Brussels 33 - Set up company, apply for permits 34 - Apply for funding from EU Innovation Fund 35 - Receive €25K grant 36 - Receive GDPR compliance violation, €15K fine 37 - Close company, owe €8K in taxes on zero revenue 38 - Start online certificate in AI Regulatory Ethics 40 - Get a €1,800/month government job, can never be fired 50 - Update LinkedIn to "Ex-Founder | Sustainability Leader | AI Leader | Systems Thinker" Americans would never understand this journey

Matthias Schmidt

How Dutch women behave when they find out you make €1,300/month, pay 65% tax and own an electric bicycle

Matthias Schmidt

Perfect Saturday bike trip with my wife 30km along the river, train home, total cost = €3.50 In America this would require driving 3 hours, $25 parking, and a tip to a homeless guy to not touch your car I love living in Europe

Matthias Schmidt

My friend moved to San Francisco to work as a Staff Engineer at OpenAI His salary? $30,000 a month A lot of money right? Well, the reality was different: $12,000 - rent, studio with no windows $7,000 - tip for the landlord $5,000 - subscription to gay sauna $4,000 - rehab after fentanyl addiction $2,000 - Asian prostitutes $1,000 - Tesla lease payment Soon he found himself in immense debt and nearly took his own life Please, think twice before chasing the “American Dream”

Matthias Schmidt

A perfect Friday in the Netherlands: 8:00 - Wake up 8:30 - Check portfolio. Down 10%. Pay 36% tax on unrealized gains 9:30 - Pick up wife from her boyfriend’s apartment 10:00 - Receive fine for cycling 2 km/h over the bike speed limit 10:30 - Start work 12:00 - Eat potatoes for lunch 14:00 - Write an angry LinkedIn post about Americans having no work-life balance 14:30 - Mandatory diversity seminar 15:30 - Finish work 17:00 - Apply for a permit to own a second bicycle 21:00 - Eat potatoes for dinner 21:30 - Read article about Europe having the highest quality of life 22:00 - Sleep on a couch because your wife’s boyfriend is staying over

Matthias Schmidt

BREAKING: My sources in Brussels have confirmed the official EU response to the Iran conflict: 1. France has surrendered 2. Sweden offering asylum to both sides 3. Greece will ask Iran for a loan 4. Denmark offering Irani leaders free mental health counseling 5. No response from Spain (weekend) More intel to follow soon

Matthias Schmidt

My perfect European Saturday: > Wake up alone at 9:31am > Wife slept at her boyfriend > Eat one slice of bread with butter for breakfast > Scroll X, leave angry comment under Elon Musk post > Take public transport to the farmers market > Change trams because a Somali teenager broke a window > Buy tomatoes for €12 > Call wife, voicemail > Walk home > Make pasta with can tuna. A Mediterranean diet > Pay the €90 dog tax online (I don't own a dog) > Watch a Dutch documentary about global warming > Asleep by 9:45pm. Window open because AC is illegal I love my life

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