belgium and the us: a mutual introduction
TRANSCRIPT
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction1 Las Vegas, Welcome sign, NV
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction2
Who is Bruno Lowagie?
Original developer of iText
Author: “iText in Action” (Manning Publications)
CEO iText Group
Castle Rock State Park, CA
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction3
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
Company Structure
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction4
Shareholders:- Ingeborg Willaert (50%)- Bruno Lowagie (50%)
°2008 Belgium: ISG
iText Group NVIP, TM, Development
Marketing
°2015 Singapore: ISA
iText Software Asia Pte. Ltd.
Sales Asia/Pacific
°2011 Belgium: ISB
iText Software BVBA
Sales EMEA
°2009 USA: ISC
iText Software Corp.
Sales US/Americas
Board of Directors:- Peter Camps (chairman)- Ingeborg Willaert- Bruno LowagieAdvisory board:- Bernard Slede- Mark De Visser
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Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction5
BelCham: Most promising company 2014
Tribeca Rooftop, New York, NY
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Fastest growing Technology company 2014
Brussels, Belgium
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Finalist Stevies 2015Sint-Amandsberg, Belgium
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Why did UCLL ask me as a speaker?
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction8
To the US or not to the US, that’s
not the question!
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#1: Where is your market?
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction9
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
#1 Where is your market?
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction10
Site sessions 2014
Downloads 2014 (SourceForge Java version only)
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#2 Where do you want to start?
Westrozebeke, Belgium
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#3 Where do startups get advantages?
Kinepolis Ghent, Belgium
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#3 Where do startups get advantages?
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction13
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
#3 Where do startups get advantages?
Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction14
Don’t say hashtag!Say waffle!
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#4 Where do you get funding?
Sandhill Road, Menlo Park, CA
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#5 Where do you plan your exit?
Plug and Play Tech Center, Sunnyvale, CA
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iText: How it all started…
Java One, San Francisco, CA
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First Open Source Release: 2000
Adobe Headquarters, San Jose, CA
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First book: 2006
Digital Guru Technical Bookshop, Sunnyvale, CA
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First IP Review: 2007
JRA Law, San Francisco, CA
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First substantial revenue: 2009
Golden Gate Park Aquarium, San Francisco, CA
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First visit to the US: 2010
Union Square, San Francisco, CA
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WARNING: Stereotyping ahead
Toll booths, Bay Area, CA
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Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae
iText Summit 2012, Ghent, Belgium
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Who has the best beer?
Blue Smoke on the road, JFK airport New York, NY
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Americans brew beer too!
Devil’s Canyon Brewery, San Carlos, CA
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And they have excellent wine
Europeans tend to emphasize achievements from the past: they have a whole lot of history.
Americans live very much in the present, some even in the future. Belgium, what did you achieve lately?
Revana Winery, Saint-Helena (Napa Valley), CA
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
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Belgium – USA: 2 - 1
World Cup, Brazil
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Starting a business
The Wall Street Bull, New York, NY
Connecting like-minded professionals and help promising Belgian
startups scale up faster and more successfully in the USA.
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
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Belgian American Chamber of Commerce- Independent, not-for-profit organization- Founded in 1918- Headquarters in New York City (USA)- Provides services to individuals, startups and corporations- For and by entrepreneurs- Founded ATELIER incubator and co-working space in 2014- Offices in New York and Bay Area
What does BelCham offer?- Career service- J-1 Visa Program- Referrals & Introductions- Business workshops- Events- ATELIER co-working space
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
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Differences USA - Belgium
Americans have less rules and it’s OK to think big
Europe has plenty of rules and prevents thinking big
As for Singapore…
Googleplex, Mountain View, CA
© 2015, iText Group NV, iText Software Corp., iText Software BVBA
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The idea is not the execution of the ideaOracle, Redwood Shores, CA
Adobe Systems, San Jose, CA
SAP, Palo Alto, CA
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Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction34
Feeling business
Guerneville, CA
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Empoyees in the US and Belgium
Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, CA
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Things need to be convenient
5 of the 11 federal holidays were moved to a Monday by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (1968)
To ensure uniformity throughout the world…
Fish without fish bones…
Times Square, New York, NY
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The US: one nation…
Every American is an American: most of the Americans I know have lived in at least two different states.
Not every European is a European: They’re French, German, Dutch, Irish, Italian, Belgian,…
Grand Canyon, AZ
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Pledge of Allegiance
Redwood City, CA
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What amazes Europeans
Americans: it is hard to understand that there are whole countries as small as New York.
Belgians: it is hard to understand that there’s a country as big as the US.
Manhattan seen from the Empire State Building, NY
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Years versus house numbers
Boston Massacre site, Boston, MA
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All those different time zones…
Europe: everything is so close by, and yet countries are after so far apart… (e.g. Flanders - Wallonia)
The US: distances are huge. Everything is so far away and yet so close…
Bay Area, CA
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Deep down, Americans love Europe
Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga (Napa Valley), CA
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But they give it their own twist
Safeway, Redwood City, CA
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And Europe follows
Java One, San Francisco, CA
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Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction45
Cum Romano Romanus eris
Trevi Fountains, Rome, Italy
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Belgium and the USA, a mutual introduction46
When in America, be AmericanFirewood Grill SFO, San Bruno, CA
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The food in the US is great!
Fish Market, Palo Alto, CA
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Food culture: some dinner stories
Europe: Let’s see if we can trust each other before we start doing business.
US: Let’s start doing business to see if we can trust each other.
Sam’s Chowder House, Halfmoon Bay, CA
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Guns are good…
Iron Door Saloon, Groveland, CA
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…subsidies are evil!
Bennet Lane Winery, Calistoga (Napa Valley), CA
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You. Your. Thou. Thy.
Digital Detox Social Hike, Los Gatos, CA
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Go to events and…
Community Leadership Summit West, Santa Clara, CA
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Pitch! Pitch! Pitch!
Digital Detox Social Hike, Los Gatos, CA
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Be a member
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What’s beneath the surface?
Film set “Third person”, Cinecittà, Rome, Italy
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Friendly versus Blunt
Wente’s, Livermore, CA
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Talking about politics?
White House, Washington DC
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Talking about religion?
Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC
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Talking about sex?
Film set “Third person”, Cinecittà, Rome, Italy