--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Coming from Ireland, it's quite hard to…" description: "\"Coming from Ireland, it's quite hard to do a startup because you're culturally so far away from what everyone else is doing. In the Bay Area, it's much..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/709/john-collison-16395_actor_coming-from-ireland-it-s-quite-hard-to-d_1113534.jpg" --- # Coming from Ireland, it's quite hard to do a startup… ![“Coming from Ireland, it's quite hard to do a startup because you're culturally so far away from what everyone else is doing. In the Bay Area, it's much easier. It's the equivalent of an actor or actress moving to Hollywood.” quote by John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/709/john-collison-16395_actor_coming-from-ireland-it-s-quite-hard-to-d_1113534.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/709/john-collison-16395_actor_coming-from-ireland-it-s-quite-hard-to-d_1113534.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/709/john-collison-16395_actor_coming-from-ireland-it-s-quite-hard-to-d_1113534.jpg) > “Coming from Ireland, it's quite hard to do a startup because you're culturally so far away from what everyone else is doing. In the Bay Area, it's much easier. It's the equivalent of an actor or actress moving to Hollywood.” [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Geographic and cultural distance make entrepreneurship harder in Ireland compared to the Bay Area, similar to actors moving to Hollywood. **In simple terms:** Being far from a startup hub creates extra challenges. Key Takeaway Seek supportive networks and remote resources. Themes entrepreneurship culture geography innovation networking Mood determined optimistic Type advice observational When to use this quote - startup founders in peripheral regions - tech talent migration - investment outreach Key Concepts ecosystem effects cultural capital remote collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How can remote founders build a Silicon Valley‑like network? - What resources can bridge cultural gaps? A Different Perspective Local ecosystems may lack capital and mentorship despite talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Bay area](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bay-area/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ireland/) [Startup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startup/) ## Related quotes > [Coming from Ireland, its quite hard to do a startup because youre culturally so far away from what everyone else is doing. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/coming-from-ireland-its-quite-hard-to-do-a-startup-because-youre/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [I look back now and think, what was I doing, moving to Hollywood with $2,000 and a duffel bag? But there is no money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/i-look-back-now-and-think-what-was-i-doing-moving-to-hollywood-with-2/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [People go to the movies instead of moving. Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/people-go-to-the-movies-instead-of-moving-hollywood-characters-are/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [When it comes to starting startups, in many ways, it's easier to start a hard startup than an easy startup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/when-it-comes-to-starting-startups-in-many-ways-it-s-easier-to-start/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [In the Bay Area, there was a resurgence of Dixieland jazz in the '40s - there was the Frisco Jazz Band, and Lu Watters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/in-the-bay-area-there-was-a-resurgence-of-dixieland-jazz-in-the-40s/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [I was about 15 years old when I moved to the Bay area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-was-about-15-years-old-when-i-moved-to-the-bay-area/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I'm a true native of the Bay Area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/i-m-a-true-native-of-the-bay-area/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [For people who know both New York and the Bay Area, it is a complement to say that Oakland is San Francisco's Brooklyn. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/for-people-who-know-both-new-york-and-the-bay-area-it-is-a-complement/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) > ['Silicon Valley' has come to mean the Bay Area, not just down the Peninsula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/silicon-valley-has-come-to-mean-the-bay-area-not-just-down-the/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) > [I'm a Bay Area kid, born and bred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-crawford/i-m-a-bay-area-kid-born-and-bred/) [Brandon Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-crawford/) > [I'm going to go back to the Bay Area, this is my thing, and I'm just going to open my own school of baseball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/i-m-going-to-go-back-to-the-bay-area-this-is-my-thing-and-i-m-just/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [The San Francisco Bay Area has more VC firms and dollars invested than all East Coast cities combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ferreira/the-san-francisco-bay-area-has-more-vc-firms-and-dollars-invested/) [Jose Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ferreira/) > [I'm from the Bay Area, so I know a lot about granola.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daveed-diggs/i-m-from-the-bay-area-so-i-know-a-lot-about-granola/) [Daveed Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daveed-diggs/) > [That's how we grew up - kinda like Pops would put his drums, his percussion and instruments into the car and we would just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-e/that-s-how-we-grew-up-kinda-like-pops-would-put-his-drums-his/) [Sheila E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-e/) > [K.C. and the Bay Area are opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-butler/k-c-and-the-bay-area-are-opposites/) [Billy Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-butler/) ## More by John Collison > [Culture is what happens when the CEO isn't in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/culture-is-what-happens-when-the-ceo-isn-t-in-the-room/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [For Stripe, being inventive is just about applying the right solutions from other areas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/for-stripe-being-inventive-is-just-about-applying-the-right-solutions/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Stripe was very much the product of our past experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/stripe-was-very-much-the-product-of-our-past-experiences/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Our initial idea with Stripe was that for people like us - those building apps and websites - it was incredibly difficult to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/our-initial-idea-with-stripe-was-that-for-people-like-us-those/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [I think there is this very nice, if at times dangerous, untethered optimism that exists in Silicon Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/i-think-there-is-this-very-nice-if-at-times-dangerous-untethered/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Marketplaces by their nature tend to grow faster than most other companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/marketplaces-by-their-nature-tend-to-grow-faster-than-most-other/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Part of Stripe's vision is linking people better on the web.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/part-of-stripe-s-vision-is-linking-people-better-on-the-web/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [It's easy to talk to people over the Web, but it's not very easy to trigger transactions. That's the thing we set out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/it-s-easy-to-talk-to-people-over-the-web-but-it-s-not-very-easy-to/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [As long as the Internet economy continues to grow, Stripe will continue to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/as-long-as-the-internet-economy-continues-to-grow-stripe-will/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Stripe really did come about because we were really appalled by how hard it was to charge for things online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/stripe-really-did-come-about-because-we-were-really-appalled-by-how/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [No batch of 10 people will have as much an influence on the company as those first 10 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/no-batch-of-10-people-will-have-as-much-an-influence-on-the-company/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [With PayPal, you have to send people over to their website... whereas with Stripe, we offer a way to integrate payments into the website,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/with-paypal-you-have-to-send-people-over-to-their-website-whereas/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Advertising obviously helps with awareness, but if you look at some of the most successful companies, they're actually not generally ad-driven when it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/advertising-obviously-helps-with-awareness-but-if-you-look-at-some-of/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [The values we developed were instrumental in gaining a competitive advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/the-values-we-developed-were-instrumental-in-gaining-a-competitive/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [I think a lot of people learn to code messing around with things while in secondary school. And for me, it started up as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/i-think-a-lot-of-people-learn-to-code-messing-around-with-things/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) [Explore all 40 John Collison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Coming from Ireland, it's quite hard to do a startup because you're culturally so far away from what everyone else is doing. In the Bay Area, it's much easier. 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