Everywhere you look, there's media attention and
limelight heaped on entrepreneurs. The entrepreneur has come to represent an
almost superhuman figure who is able to rise from mediocrity, through a baptism
of fire to build the companies we see with valuations previously unfathomable.
This new
world order, where great fortunes are made seemingly overnight, and praise and
recognition, those two most valued of human desires, are publicly showered on a
new breed of entrepreneur-rockstar. The media column inches usually reserved
for actors and entertainers now feature 25 year old hackers. In this digital
era, successful tech founders seemingly sit at the top of the totem pole, akin
to a hedge fund partner at the height of the 80s, but with the social media
reach of a Kardashian. It's a golden age for technology start-ups. Vanity
Fair's 'New Establishment' list confirms this and reads as a who's who of tech
founders.
What's
even more confusing is the persona attributed to entrepreneurs. We're told
entrepreneurs are born, not made. What no-one discusses as openly is that the
majority of tech founders coming out of the Western world are born fortunate.
Considerable financial backing, family support and superb networks are three
key ingredients that effectively champion an early stage tech
entrepreneur.
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| Snapchat's Evan Spiegel |
Owing to this, being an entrepreneur becomes a subtle status symbol. It demonstrates the luxury to take considerable risk, unshakable self-belief, and the ability to magic resources, apparently out of nowhere. It's no wonder, 'founder' is a hot career choice. And it fits well with Generation Y's belief that we are all uniquely special.
But when
you take a step back from the hype, and keep the media coverage and accolades
in perspective (not to mention the failure rate), the emergence of the tech
entrepreneur is incredibly hopeful.
In
essence, small teams are now able to reach millions, perhaps billions of
mankind via ideas conceived in garages and bootstrapped to life. Elizabeth
Holmes, founder of Theranos created a company so compelling she convinced Henry
Kissinger to join her Board, determined to change healthcare via affordable
blood testing accessible regardless of citizenship, geography or
privilege.
We can
all feel inspired as we enter an age where new companies are born at an
unprecedented rate, and with this, the opportunity for great changes to benefit
all of humanity, and with any luck, the planet too.
Check out
this uplifting venture Liminal, which was created by two members of our
community at Ideapod.com,
who met while sharing their ideas online.
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| Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg
Let's
remember this: while there may be overblown hype around entrepreneurship, we
have never lived in a time more hopeful for rapid paced change. Innovation is
at every corner, and rightly, should be celebrated. Sometimes you need to look
around and feel inspired by the feats achieved by humanity living now.
"When there a will there is always a way to do and make it big in Life"
Source : http://virg.in/8mA75
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