high-tech companies are appearing every week in London, but it must do more to make the UK an innovation center

In 1996, he left the UK to work for Apple in California. At that time there were few opportunities for ambitious developers in Britain. California was a different story. Not only the world's best business software based there, but the attitude towards the new company was completely different and very exciting. Instead of the British attitude to "avoid failure at all costs", on the west coast are encouraged to take risks and try new ideas. If you do not, you get up and try again. If it is recognized as the best tool for learning. Until we have a couple of spectacular failures behind them, people tend not to take you seriously

Winston Churchill said. "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" This attitude is at the heart of the culture of Silicon Valley.

spent the next 10 years in the valley, finance or help to launch four new high-tech companies. Then, after three years at Google in New York, I returned to London. I noticed in the UK has changed significantly, while I was absent. There are clusters of technology startups in Britain with the largest being the "Silicon Roundabout" in Shoreditch.

work in a start-up is exciting and scary. I do not know if the company is successful - in fact, most startups fail. To work long hours to turn an idea into an actual product that customers love. It takes a small team of people and establish a working group, a successful business. When things go well, is one of the most exciting, challenging and exciting as you can. When things go wrong, it is much less pleasant. The closure of a bankrupt company and dismissal of the people you've worked with a hard lesson and you just later determined not to let that happen again.

A year ago, I went on Google and joined Songkick, a startup in Silicon Roundabout the original. Songkick is a young, ambitious and comprehensive: we are currently the second largest website for live music in the world, with over three quarters of our users from outside the UK. Our product is used by millions of people and helps music fans discover great new bands - Songkick users on average go to concerts more than 70% in the year after we started using we did in the previous year

At a time when we seem to be drowned in the bad economic news, the silicon roundabout itself as a true British success. New businesses are emerging every week and existing businesses are growing rapidly. In October, Songkick organized the second "Silicon Milkroundabout" a job fair for startups. Over 100 companies participated, offering over 500 jobs and 1,500 developers came along the day. It is up to 40 new companies and developers from 400 in the first event in May. Obviously there is great interest in working in a start-up and there are many opportunities to do so. Last week I met with David Cameron at the launch of the Tech city map I was impressed by the interest of the Prime Minister in the trunk. He was informed, willing to listen and offer practical help. One of our biggest challenges is that people know what is happening in East London and the government's involvement helps us to highlight the exciting growth that we see. We would like to see more graduates and experienced developers are planning to work at start of new technologies and the approach that the government is in the area of ??aid.

. Dan Crow has been a Director of Technology