Hi, I'm the head of comm. No remote work for us at the moment but remote interviews :)
HN user
yallahaline
Founder The Blue House - Great ideas don't come in a board room - bring your startup to Morocco
I rented my place on Airbnb, packed my bag, went to a country I was interested in, looked for a job there (luckily there was no need for a visa because I was in Africa/Middle East and you always find a way around there), found one in a few days (being a foreigner with skills help), and voilà. I didn't save any money, I just looked for a job :)
Already popular with entrepreneurs Good surf/yoga/creative/authentic vibe Close to an international airport Sunny and different from Europe :) http://www.thebluehouse.io/blog/2014/12/1/why-this-american-...
For the participant to the program: internet is good enough, but I'm looking to get a much better plan in the fall. Security is not a problem. For the cofounder: bureaucracy is not as smooth as in Europe or North America, but it's nothing impossible. Some products are not available in Morocco, but you can easily get them from Europe. Clients are mostly coming from Europe and North America :)
It's usually around 20 to 30C, with a nice breeze. Marrakech has a different weather altogether.
We also have inside nice desk chairs and tables, and are looking to install a laptop stand, and standing desk :)
Funny, I saw a similar post on HN today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9347228
It's about a startup residence in Morocco, startups came and work there for one month
If you're a startup catering to international clients, it's better to be registered abroad (especially when you want to move to other countries, and change of scene in the long run). In most emerging economies countries, you can get by on a tourist visa.
Hey, I'm the writer :) We actually decided to open this space after meeting a lot of cool startups who did. In this village we had TechStar Seattle and Startup Chile alumi Maptia and media darling Chui. And there are more around the world. Check out NomadList, and Levels.io
It's not a one size fits all situation. Depends on your product (online/offline), on the stage your product is at, etc. The good thing is you can alternate being in big tech hub, isolating yourself in small village, challenging yourself in a city you don't know etc
:)
I agree. More and more often you see people choosing a mix of both. Living in a big city when their product requires it, going abroad when they need more focus, or when their in a development stage that enables it. You don't have to be in the same place all the time anymore :)
It depends what stage you're in, and what is your product. If your doing a 100% online product, it doesn't change a thing. Skype works great for partners, but going in person once in a while where your partners is always better. (Thank god for cheap airplane fares)