Éanna Kelly

Finding a job in tech has rarely been this hard. AI has disproportionately hit entry-level roles, some companies have stopped hiring interns or other junior positions altogether and certain companies have announced layoffs tied to automation plans. Companies that are still hiring are doing so cautiously, while automated recruitment systems mean candidates can also send hundreds of applications into the void without receiving a single human response. The industry feels precarious.

The World Cup kicks off tomorrow and we’re very excited. So much so, we’ve created a fantasy team of European founders. Squint and you’ll see why startup-types make for an ideal starting XI. Techies are almost as rich as footballers; they invent roles — like “forward deployed engineers” — that belong on the pitch; and they’ve long been masters of the Cruyff Turn (or “the pivot”). They’re also ferociously competitive.