Comments on: Note to Washington: About half of VC-backed company founders are immigrants http://venturebeat.com/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/ News About Tech, Money and Innovation Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:28:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Startups.in/India http://venturebeat.com/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/comment-page-1/#comment-16868 Startups.in/India Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:59:23 +0000 http://www.venturebeat.com/contributors/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/#comment-16868 "Imagine if Jerry Yang had stayed in Taiwan and had not been able to immigrate to the US as a child? Or Andy Grove remained in Hungary? Or Sergey Brin was now living in Russia? Companies that have changed the way we live, work and think would certainly not be headquartered here – and maybe wouldn’t exist at all." Well, may be they would have existed but in their respective home countries. :) Yahoo like company in Taiwan, Intel in Hungary, Google in Russia... “Imagine if Jerry Yang had stayed in Taiwan and had not been able to immigrate to the US as a child? Or Andy Grove remained in Hungary? Or Sergey Brin was now living in Russia? Companies that have changed the way we live, work and think would certainly not be headquartered here – and maybe wouldn’t exist at all.”

Well, may be they would have existed but in their respective home countries. :)
Yahoo like company in Taiwan, Intel in Hungary, Google in Russia…

]]> By: Carl Howe http://venturebeat.com/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/comment-page-1/#comment-16862 Carl Howe Thu, 16 Nov 2006 01:07:20 +0000 http://www.venturebeat.com/contributors/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/#comment-16862 This is a topic that the media hasn't covered enough. Immigrants are a huge driver of innovation and entrepreneurship. We should embrace their contributions to our economy, not hinder them. I'm not entirely convinced, though, that the problem is the H1B visa limitation. I believe the US should be making legal imigration easier overall, not just for those that meet the very specific (and often abused) business requirements of H1B visas. Ideally, people who have a specific plan for building businesses in the US should be allowed and encouraged to do so. Our challenge is to make this possible in the ways that put the fewest barriers in their way. As you note, the next Andy Grove or Jerry Yang may be the person we are keeping out. Thank you for addressing a topic that doesn't get enough attention. This is a topic that the media hasn’t covered enough. Immigrants are a huge driver of innovation and entrepreneurship. We should embrace their contributions to our economy, not hinder them.

I’m not entirely convinced, though, that the problem is the H1B visa limitation. I believe the US should be making legal imigration easier overall, not just for those that meet the very specific (and often abused) business requirements of H1B visas. Ideally, people who have a specific plan for building businesses in the US should be allowed and encouraged to do so. Our challenge is to make this possible in the ways that put the fewest barriers in their way. As you note, the next Andy Grove or Jerry Yang may be the person we are keeping out.

Thank you for addressing a topic that doesn’t get enough attention.

]]> By: Naff’s Net » Immigration’s impact on Innovation http://venturebeat.com/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/comment-page-1/#comment-16861 Naff’s Net » Immigration’s impact on Innovation Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:09:21 +0000 http://www.venturebeat.com/contributors/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/#comment-16861 [...] One of the few political topics that I wholeheartedly debate is US immigration policy.  This National Venture Capital Association report on Immigration pulls together some astounding numbers (explained succinctly at VentureBeat).  Most notably, 50% of company founders are immigrants. Even more ominously, “More than 2/3 of immigrant entrepreneurs agreed with the notion that U.S. immigration policy has made it more difficult than in the past to start a business in America.” The H1 visa process is entirely broken. We are capping the influx of the most talented immigrants to the US because we are worried about protecting American jobs.  This cap has got to be lifted/removed entirely. The US needs to be the place where every talented worker in the world wants to come. If you follow this to its obvious end, the talented company founders will stay abroad and start their companies there.  The job creation will happen outside of the US.  You’ll rarely find an economist arguing for protectionist labor policies – I wonder why… [...] [...] One of the few political topics that I wholeheartedly debate is US immigration policy.  This National Venture Capital Association report on Immigration pulls together some astounding numbers (explained succinctly at VentureBeat).  Most notably, 50% of company founders are immigrants. Even more ominously, “More than 2/3 of immigrant entrepreneurs agreed with the notion that U.S. immigration policy has made it more difficult than in the past to start a business in America.” The H1 visa process is entirely broken. We are capping the influx of the most talented immigrants to the US because we are worried about protecting American jobs.  This cap has got to be lifted/removed entirely. The US needs to be the place where every talented worker in the world wants to come. If you follow this to its obvious end, the talented company founders will stay abroad and start their companies there.  The job creation will happen outside of the US.  You’ll rarely find an economist arguing for protectionist labor policies – I wonder why… [...]

]]> By: dhoom http://venturebeat.com/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/comment-page-1/#comment-16860 dhoom Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:48:01 +0000 http://www.venturebeat.com/contributors/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/#comment-16860 The openess of the americans is too great. The american culture of embracing other and assimilating them as themselves definitely creates the most productive environment for an immigrant to succeed The openess of the americans is too great. The american culture of embracing other and assimilating them as themselves definitely creates the most productive environment for an immigrant to succeed

]]> By: Jesse http://venturebeat.com/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/comment-page-1/#comment-16859 Jesse Wed, 15 Nov 2006 18:41:22 +0000 http://www.venturebeat.com/contributors/2006/11/15/note-to-washington-about-half-of-vc-backed-company-founders-are-immigrants/#comment-16859 Very interesting report... I'm willing to bet the number increases significantly if you ask how many founders have immigrant parents! This point has important long term implications because we shouldn't think of a good immigration policy as having only immediate returns. This means we shouldn't focus our immigration on one given sector (tech.) After all, Sergey was just a kid when his PARENTS came over. Very interesting report… I’m willing to bet the number increases significantly if you ask how many founders have immigrant parents! This point has important long term implications because we shouldn’t think of a good immigration policy as having only immediate returns. This means we shouldn’t focus our immigration on one given sector (tech.) After all, Sergey was just a kid when his PARENTS came over.

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