Building a startup culture in a broken-down economy

Athens

IN A leafy back alley, two lifelong friends tap away at their keyboards, perfecting their eighth Internet startup company, a hotel recommendation service called Travelmyth.com, which began in November and is already turning a profit.

It would be just another success story of the digital age, if it were not for the company's location: Greece, a country that almost defines economic mismanagement, a place long resistant to the demands of global competition and a sinkhole for the aspirations of young people.