Dear Zurich, we need to talk.

Conversations that start like this rarely end well - usually at least one person gets hurt. I'll try anyway.

Dear Zurich, I really like you. You are beautiful and I had incredible times with you. But somehow we grew apart. Startups and you just don't mix.

Actually you would be perfect...

You are one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the quality of life is very high. Where else are the Alps so close and you can swim in a lake in the middle of the city? The best local recreation areas are right on your doorstep. Every entrepreneur’s dream!

You are relatively rich and clean. In San Francisco there are homeless people on every street corner, some of whom are in very poor condition, and there are definitely uncomfortable corners in Berlin too. In Zurich, on the other hand, you can move anywhere safely in the middle of the night.

The infrastructure in Zurich is better than anywhere else. Unlike in Germany, the trains run on time, you can get anywhere in a short time by tram and bus, and you can even get around quickly by bike. Sure, the rents are comparatively high, but so are they here in the San Francisco Bay Area. With one difference: While the apartments in the Bay Area are small and made of wood, in Zurich you can get a really good apartment for the money. And just a few kilometers outside, rents are significantly cheaper, and you can also get to the city from Dietikon or Schlieren within minutes by S-Bahn.

Internet in Zurich is as fast and stable as in few other cities. We don't have public free WiFi like for example Odessa, but gigabit fiber is available in almost every household. In San Francisco you pay a tenth of the speed more.

Not only is the infrastructure stable, but also democracy. Sure, we have too politicianwho are consciously putting Switzerland's successful model at risk, but we don't need to fear Donald Trump. Actually, these would be perfect conditions for investments.

...but somehow things don't work out that way.

Sometimes I have the feeling that you are resting on your laurels. You don't need to dress up for entrepreneurs and innovation, after all, you've already achieved everything. Switzerland is regularly named one of the most innovative countries in the world - why should you still try to attract startups? They're far too small for you anyway, big companies are much more attractive, aren't they? For example, why should you care about fintech startups when your banks have a lot more money anyway? What you unfortunately fail to realize is that the small startups of today are the important employers of tomorrow. Please be careful not to gamble away your future carelessly!

With ETH, one of the world's best universities attracts outstanding talent. Many of them would like to start a business here after completing their studies, but unfortunately they are not allowed to stay in Switzerland after their student visa has expired. Here in California, graduates receive a work visa for at least one year - after all, they want to keep well-educated people in the country and contribute to the economy. However, such models are unlikely to find a majority in the current political climate in Switzerland.

Anyone who has ever tried to hire developers from non-EFTA countries despair of your bureaucracy. You have you corresponding advances from the startup scene listened to, but nothing happened. In addition, the exact working hours of all employees now have to be recorded. As if it were that easy with startup employees - flexible working hours and conditions are an important argument in the war for talent.

That you allow the cantonal tax office changed its practice when it comes to taxing startups practically overnight is simply irresponsible. This forces every entrepreneur who wants to found an ambitious startup to either move to another canton or abroad. At the moment there are signs that you are coming to your senses and adapting the practice to reality again. Hopefully it won't be too late then: Many successful founders are moving abroad these days.

There's a lot of talk in the startup and digital scene, which is great. Unfortunately, however, the - in my opinion, urgent - meta-discussion lacks breadth. Anyone who criticizes your players or initiatives will be dismissed as a dawdling boy instead of you taking the criticism seriously and improving yourself. That is certainly one reason why there is still this in Zurich not a serious startup medium gives. One of the most important skills of an entrepreneur would be to learn from mistakes and take criticism seriously.

Seize your chance!

You don't have too much time left if you don't want the train to finally leave for you. Therefore, my request to you: tackle the pressing problems now!

Make sure you get your wild tax officials under control and make yourself a little more attractive to startups again.

Make sure that not only Google and other large companies have access to foreign talent, but also give startups fair access to work quotas. Not only train the best people, but also let them work for you afterwards.

Limit bureaucracy: No working time recording for startups and faster company formations/capital increases.

Support location initiatives such as Digital Zurich 2025 seriously. Berlin, for example, has been actively informing London startups about the opportunities in the German capital since Brexit - and are you too comfortable for that?

Entrepreneurs want to achieve something and not fight against windmills. If the general conditions are right, you will attract the best entrepreneurs and you will become a prosperous startup city. It wouldn't take much for that. You just have to set the course in good time: now.

Then maybe something will work out for both of us.

PS: Do you have a different opinion or would you like to add something? I look forward to your feedback, preferably here in the blog or on Facebook.