“
It is pitch black and freezing and I am in an old, abandoned ice factory in East Berlin. The view from the roof is grand - the iconic, Socialist-era TV tower nicely defines Berlin’s skyline from across the Spree River. But we are here to see the art, our guide tells us, as we snake up and down staircases and through huge, empty rooms, walls full of graffiti, lit by our phones’ flashlight apps.
This is the second to last stop on the “Twilight Berlin Underground Tour.” I am here, ostensibly, to see art and potentially meet “people living on the fringes of society,” according to the listing. We have already visited an abandoned brewery where street artists used to squat, and an old rail yard area now home to studios. Our last stop is some sort of “hacker’s lair.”
” — RRW: Fast Times In East Berlin: Exploring Europe’s New Startup Capitalactioncontents.com: The Berlin Mayor, Local Politics and why they don't Matter. -
After Monday’s Print Focus Article, there’s been some whining about the lack of support by the Berlin Senate and Mayor Wowereit for the German startup scene. (here and here)
I pinged an insider and this is the sad reality:“1. Zuständig für Euch ist der WIRTSCHAFTSSENAT - das ist in…
Interesting article from Felix. Worth a read (and some thought).
Floris and me on TV. Very meta. (by mathysva)
Happy Monday, all! We hope you had a great weekend.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert, of the “Hail a Tour!” events in London. Robert is a qualified taxi tour guide and has a number of awesome guided adventures though London up on Gidsy - explore Harry Potter’s London, Murder in the Metropolis, Classic London & London’s American Links in the back of his classic black cab. Keep reading to learn all about Robert, his love for London, and his connection to the Royal wedding…
I met Robert in London the other day.
It’s official. We’re happy to announce that Sunstone Capital, Werner Vogels, Index Capital and Ashton Kutcher have made a significant investment in Gidsy. We could not be more happy and can’t wait to take Gidsy to the next level with you.
For more information please see our press release:
Love,
Gidsy
“
Eines der vielversprechendsten Berliner Start-ups ist Gidsy.com. Die Geschäftsidee erinnert an Handwerk- und Kunstcommunitys wie Etsy und DaWanda: Orts- und Fachkundige bieten Führungen oder Workshops an, in denen sie ihre Kenntnisse und ihr Können vermitteln und Teilnehmerzahl und Preis selbst festsetzen. Für fünf Euro zum Beispiel bietet Robert L. einen einstündigen Snooker-Kurs an, für acht Euro gibt Bettina S. eine Mittagspausen-Yogastunde in Kreuzberg. Hinterher können Teilnehmer bewerten, wie es ihnen gefallen hat und ihre Entdeckung in sozialen Netzwerken weiterempfehlen. Gidsy kassiert jeweils zehn Prozent Vermittlungsgebühr.
“Wir wollen der Lonely Planet 2.0 werden”, sagt Edial Dekker über Gidsy. Gemeinsam mit seinem Bruder Floris und Mitgründer Philipp Wassibauer kam dem gebürtigen Niederländer die Idee zu dem dezentralen “Marktplatz für Aktivitäten” im Sommer des vergangenen Jahres. Im November ging die Seite online. Nach Berlin folgten Lokalisierungen für New York und Amsterdam. London, San Francisco und eine deutschsprachige Version sind in konkreter Planung.
” — Gidsy on Zeit Online: ‘Start-ups: Berlin euphorisiert die Gründerszene | Digital | ZEIT ONLINE’
(via my teacher says some smart shit. thought you might like it - Reddit)
“Psychologists have found a way to make money-fueled happiness last, however: Buy experiences, not material goods. We adapt to things we do slower than just plain things.” — The Experiential Economy: Can Money Buy Happiness? (via gidsy)
“
Interviewer: If you get hold of two magnets, and you push them, you can feel this pushing between them. Turn them around the other way, and they slam together. Now, what is it, the feeling between those two magnets?
Feynman: What do you mean, “What’s the feeling between the two magnets?”
Interviewer: There’s something there, isn’t there? The sensation is that there’s something there when you push these two magnets together.
Feynman: Listen to my question. What is the meaning when you say that there’s a feeling? Of course you feel it. Now what do you want to know?
Interviewer: What I want to know is what’s going on between these two bits of metal?
Feynman: They repel each other.
Interviewer: What does that mean, or why are they doing that, or how are they doing that? I think that’s a perfectly reasonable question.
Feynman: Of course, it’s an excellent question. But the problem, you see, when you ask why something happens (…)
” — [Transcript] Richard Feynman on Why Questions - Less Wrong Discussion[video]
