Joseph Stalin didn’t know much about startups. But the slogan he popularised in 1935 applies just as well to the entrepreneurial world today as it did to the Soviet Communist Party back then: “The cadres decide everything.” The most critical determinant of any startup ecosystem is the people who populate it. Where the world’s most talented founders and investors choose to work will largely determine the economic success or failure of nations in the 21st century.

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Sifted View
April 28, 2025
Britain needs talent
If Trump 2.0 really does result in a mass exodus of tech talent, the intriguing question is: where will it go?
4 min read
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John Thornhill is Sifted’s founder and innovation editor of the Financial Times. He tweets from @johnthornhillft

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