Ask HN: If Trump wins. How could it impact the tech industry?

18 points by mrcabada 9 years ago | 9 comments

I'm concerned about what could mean for the tech industry in America (and maybe the world) to have Trump as a president.

As far as I know Trump is not so happy with: Immigrants working in the US, clean/renewable energy, importing goods from other countries and some other stuff that could hinder or slow down the progress of technology in this country.

Is it something not to worry about? or should we?

P.S I don't want cool companies that are changing the world to have difficulties on getting things done :(

(I am not american)

gkya 9 years ago |

My interpretation of Trump is as follows, though note that I'm not american nor a close follower of US politics, or politics in general.

The main concern of his is the flow of capital out of the US, be it through delocating companies or employment of cheap workforce mainly in southeastern Asia. He wants to exploit the national potential of workforce and has a more introvert, more domestic politic inclination, planning minimal involvement in international questions. And he seeks the support needed through a populist policy with a xenophobic and banale rhetoric targeting the unread american proletariat, the unemployed, and the elderly who does not appreciate the today's increasingly internationalised society and culture.

> P.S I don't want cool companies that are changing the world to have difficulties on getting things done :(

Three buzzwords in a row. The only company I expected would make a concrete and desirable change with positive effects in a global scale was Tesla, but they shifted interest recently away from making electric vehicles practical (actually as a city-dweller I see carownership a burden, but that's another story). I know commenting on this will detract from the topic here, so I will not do so.

thebiglebrewski 9 years ago |

It might be a problem. It's too early to tell. His bark may not be nearly as bad as his bite.

What we have to ask is: will all of the other politicians just go along with him or will they really try to fight the "good fight"?

We need to hope that people don't really think that coal and gas are the only "good" energy options going forward.

We need to hope that immigrants aren't looked down upon as people that are a drain to society - because they're not, they contribute as much if not more in most cases. And frankly grouping people like that just doesn't solve problems ("deport all muslims", etc)

We need to hope that politicians aren't idiotic enough to build a symbolic wall that will actually do nothing practically and cost way too much taxpayer money.

Ugh I don't know like everyone else I'm just super confused right now and have no idea how this could've happened.

I'd like to think the HN crowd sympathizes as people that seem fairly progressive. I'd like to think there's a good amount of people in the US that want futuristic technology things like colonizing Mars, self-driving cars, voice assistants, new interfaces to tech to happen. But maybe I've just been too optimistic all along.

chris_7 9 years ago |

I am mostly concerned about about a difficulties with funding due to the uncertainty. Therefore I am now trying to get a job in a large, stabler company instead of the startup that I work at.

I don't have any evidence for this, but a good larger company (FB, Google, etc.) is generally better to work for anyways (my healthcare sucks, my pay sucks, and my hours suck), so I don't really see how it can hurt. Oh well, I'll give up my lottery tickets.

Would also consider moving to (a set of countries in) Europe since I like their work culture better anyways, but that is much more difficult.

jussij 9 years ago |

Since he is against free trade, is against NATO, believes climate change is a Chinese hoax, wants to see Roe v Wade overturned and wants to build a wall, the next four years is going to see a lot of change for America.

TurboHaskal 9 years ago |

Very smart people fucking around and trying to get folks into clicking on ads while using their first-world-problem solving app.

The same as today.

piyushpr134 9 years ago |

Just to be factually correct here: I think he is against illegal immigrants and not all immigrants. He is against wind power not solar.

lovelearning 9 years ago | |

A 21st century Don tilting at windmills to "save the eagles".

Damian_Reloaded 9 years ago |

He also thinks the nuclear triad is "the power, the devastation is very important to me."

anigbrowl 9 years ago |

His inevitable-looking victory means all bets are off for all industries. For once I feel glad to not have complex forward-looking plans because anything planned for a time horizon longer than weeks just evaporated.