Patrick Walsh’s Post

Do I think the role of NDRC under Dogpatch is critical to cementing Ireland's place internationally: YES! In Jan 2022, öogo was given a place on the NDRC accelerator at Dogpatch Labs. It was our second attempt. The bar was high but we'd secured international backing & we were starting to gain traction. The timing was perfect. Or was it? On 26th December 2021, I gave birth to a baby girl. Philip Reynolds was overseeing the accelerator and said I could wait for the June cohort. But six months is a long time in start-ups-ville so I decided to push ahead. The baby was 3 weeks old. There has been a lot of talk lately about parents (most specifically mothers) feeling and being excluded from places of work and events. So, I can only commend the whole team at Dogpatch Labs: Menno Axt, 💟 Sarah Barker 💟 + the Founder, Patrick Walsh (who even came in at short notice right before demo day to rehash our deck at the 11th hour with a fussy baby in my arms adding a lot of stress to an already stressful situation). Feeling welcome was one thing. But what is often forgotten in such conversations is the fact that Female Founders can't exactly take maternity leave. It's not even a choice to take time off. So being given the space & supports to push through was EVERYTHING. 🫶 Furthermore, without Philip Reynolds & Heather Morris' experience and thorough critique of our business plan and strategy, we would not have finished up that year as we did with a rolling contract at a global tech firm which placed childcare at a level and in a category not seen before. Truly game changing and a framework we are confident will, over time, become the new norm. We were also given access to the wisdom of inspirational entrepreneurs such as Laura Modi, Des Traynor, Bobby Healy, Patricia Scanlon, Joe Lennon and Mark Cummins. If Irish startups are to compete at the highest level, they need access to the learnings of those that operate at the highest levels internationally. 🚀 But it wasn't just the inclusion, support and mentorship that made NDRC transformative. There are hugely logistical benefits to this eco-system. Nov 2022 - Apr 2023 we had to pass procurement and technical due diligence globally at this tech firm. We were able to leverage the stellar paperwork behind the security of the Dogpatch Labs offices. Responding so positively to questions about fobs and reception areas and formal security helped us no end where otherwise we might have struggled. What's even more incredible, we were leveraging all of this while on reduced rent to give us a dig out as the procurement process was glacial. So, PLEASE reinstate NDRC @ Dogpatch Labs so: 🍼 Founding Mothers are supported - there are some problems we are best placed to solve! 🦉 Those with the fiercest ambitions have access to top quality mentorship 🩵 The many tiny gestures of kindness, community and support it takes to hatch a start-up can continue given the natural ethos @ Dogpatch Labs.

How can Ireland continue to succeed in building a world-class innovation economy? This week I have tried to understand the rationale to why the NDRC will cease in 12 months. Having spent the last few years immersed in the evolution of the start-up ecosystem at home, it has been very apparent that this program has been invaluable to many founding teams across Ireland. I appreciate and respect this perspective from Patrick Walsh and the questions he directly puts forward: --> Do we have the correct strategy for our innovation economy? --> Why are we making decisions that appear misaligned with international expert advice and, more importantly, the voices of our own entrepreneurs? With the elections ahead, and the 'talk' of the program coming under the Department of Enterprise, will the decision be reversed? I truly hope so.

Whoever wins the next election will need a plan to retain and bring in the world's best a brightest: "On Thursday the nation goes to the polls. Regular readers will know we aren’t going to tell you where to put your cross – but we will be informing whoever enters Downing Street what policies would help the UK’s entrepreneurs. Access to talent is key. Talk to the founders of Britain’s startups and scaleups and they will tell you getting the right people in to help them grow is their number one issue. Part of the solution is education and training – which we covered last week – but there is no getting away from the fact that we need to be welcoming to talented individuals who want to come to our country and contribute to our economy. In Passport to Progress we set out in detail how to do this. The competition for talent will only get more intense, which is why Germany has just launched the Opportunity Card. It allows those who qualify to live in the country for up to one year while looking for work, rather than requiring an employer to sponsor them beforehand. If Trump returns to the White House, we need policies ready to roll to pinch any of their disaffected coastal entrepreneurial talent who have had enough. Not least because Trump has revealed that he wants to let more top international graduates stay in the US." (Extracted from my Friday newsletter – visit our website to read the rest,)

Assuming that we might be at a turning point on french politics, would it be wise to reconsider the creation of a ''Microentrepreneur" business project in Paris? I have been delighted by the French system supporting entrepreneurship programs, especially as a foreigner, with programs such as the microentrepreneur business creation sponsored by Bpifrance in which I'm currently enrolled. But I cannot deny that I'm starting to ask this question over and over. Should Expats in process of becoming entrepreneurs in France be worried about the outcome of French elections? No risk could be detailed until we see the actual management in power either from the Rassemblement National (Off) National Rally or the new left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire - FE7 NRW, but I can tell you that my french network has been rallying in concerned about the two extremes being totally outdated regarding economic development (debt deficit) and business environment. I would like to think France elections will help to rally the country toward a more united and progressive one, but I'm afraid that the outcome of this election could prove different. As an expat working in France for almost 4 years now and former master student, I believe that France has a strong plaza for business creation and people like myself without capital nor French network, have been able to arise and significantly adapt to the French culture, speak french and probably become French in the short term and represent those republican values that have long represented France as an example to the world. I hope the business environment for french entrepreneurs continues its path and that the European Union economic space continues to develop more connectivity, commerce, and education among its members. One day, in Colombia we will have the occasion to promote something similar potentially called the South American Union, but for today I'm pro Europe. Long live those who create ideas and execute them. Vive la france ! https://lnkd.in/earnrY3Z

The Crippling Bureaucracy of the EU: A Road to Irrelevance The European Union's future looks increasingly bleak, overshadowed by a bureaucracy that's not just stifling innovation and growth in Germany but across the continent. This is killing the entrepreneurial spirit, forcing businesses to either relocate or give up on growth initiatives. The situation in Hessen, Germany, serves as a stark warning: the issue is not only a local but a Europe-wide one, expanding the gap between the EU and more agile economies like the U.S. Anything short of a tsunami to demolish the burocratic machine will be inconsequential. #EUBureaucracy #InnovationStifled #GlobalSignificance #EconomicGrowth #PolicyReform #EUvsUS #digitaleconomy #eu #economy #businessagility

Excellent to see the UK rank fifth in the 2024 innovation ranking of the World Intellectual Property Organization with Switzerland at the top for the 14th consecutive year and Europe still holding the highest number of innovation leaders among the top 25 – 15 in total, with seven among the top 10. The UK has continued to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem through initiatives such as Business Asset Disposal Relief (AKA Entrepreneurs' Relief). A hot topic of conversation amongst many founders and investors at the moment is around Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves's plan to hike capital gains tax for entrepreneurs selling their businesses, by cutting this relief as part of a broader overhaul of CGT in the Autumn Budget on October 30th. In an open letter on Monday,  over 500 British entrepreneurs and unicorns warned against proposed hikes to capital gains tax. Link below if you would like to support and sign. https://lnkd.in/esZJ-iKn WIPO: https://lnkd.in/eFB-hEhz #founders #investors #ukbusiness #entrepreneurcommunity

Important insight about Ireland's FDI strategy in this quick read by University of Warwick's The Boar ... In short, Ireland’s experience illustrates the importance of having a diversified & long-term FDI attraction strategy that includes SME’s in the tech & innovation sector. These high growth potential companies can offer immediate economic impact and not just "phantom FDI". #phantomFDI https://lnkd.in/gtVU_gqy

In the FT today, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt highlighted the need for more high-skilled migration to the UK. He said, 'A pro-growth agenda would start with high-skilled immigration, which is now in place here and should be expanded.' These insights are timely as we gather at Baker McKenzie on Thursday, 7 November, for our annual UK Immigration Seminar for Japanese corporates, where we’ll be discussing how Japanese businesses can navigate the evolving landscape of UK immigration, tax and employment. https://lnkd.in/eUpwi_VS

With a UK general election on the horizon, which holds the potential of a Labour victory, there is a likelihood that foreign-born entrepreneurs could lose their 'non-dom' status.   In this answer to a reader's question in The Financial Times, Benjamin S. Lister, partner in our Private Wealth group, addresses the business considerations that need to be taken by foreign entrepreneurs in the event of this outcome and how changes to these individuals' status could affect them: https://lnkd.in/eKXJsCKW (you may require a subscription to view this article).   #PrivateWealth #UKElection #NonDom

The UK, despite being a small island for millennia, has consistently punched above its weight through trade that has turned into global influence. However, it seems our current prime minister is more focused on short-term popularity and social media than on long-term strategy. There's a growing exodus of entrepreneurs and business leaders, who not only contribute to our economy by creating jobs but also bring global opportunities to the UK. As they leave, they take their businesses and innovation elsewhere, weakening our position. Unfortunately, many politicians are disconnected from the realities of trade and industry, stir public sentiment for their own gain, to stay in Power and to get all the benefits that go with it rather than addressing the real challenges that threaten our future. We need to encourage entrepreneurs as our country was built upon this. This is not a political statement as myself and many people are disillusioned with all political parties is a business statement for not only this generation but generations to come. #Entrepreneurs #trade #industry #smallbusiness