The list of high-profile and successful modern day
entrepreneurs is almost endless -
Chad Hurley,
Steve Chen
and
Eric Baker, or
Martin Stiksel,
Richard Jones
and
Felix Miller.
It is a great time to be an
entrepreneur working with technology. The internet has proven
to be a powerful platform for entrepreneurship. It is a ready-made,
fast-track gateway to an unrivalled user base.
Put simply, the internet is a great low-cost environment to test
ideas and turn them into a lucrative business.
So what makes those modern day entrepreneurs different to the
rest of us?
They have a desire to succeed and to break out of the
nine-to-five routine. They know that the buck stops with them, and
sometimes hits them smack bang on their forehead.
They think differently and feel compelled to make things happen
because something does not exist that they believe should.
Sometimes this can take the form of blind faith that leads to
catastrophe. But sometimes it can lead to a step change in how an
industry operates.
Entrepreneurs are not afraid to fail, and learn from their
mistakes. Failure, more so in the US, is seen as a key component of
future success.
They understand technology. Some of today's entrepreneurs would
have been stereotyped as geeks a few years ago, but some could not
write code if they tried. What unites them is an understanding of
what technology can do and, more importantly, how future users
might use it. They are positive people: where some would see
obstacles they see possibilities.
Entrepreneurship is about taking a leap of faith it is not for
the faint-hearted.
It is about persisting, and ultimately about taking total
accountability for a company and your life - the good, the bad and
the ugly.
British business should be looking to innovate, to keep up with
the challenges from increased global competition and attract as
much of this "magical" entrepreneurial DNA into their four walls as
possible.
Having contributed to the
Developing the
Future report - along with the likes of Microsoft, the Work
Foundation, Digby Jones, the British Computer Society and Intellect
- it is clear to me that entrepreneurial spirit is critical to the
long term success of Britain.
However, the UK is still feudal in many regards. A large segment
of society still argues for the master/slave relationship - the
employer/employee relationship - although the individual revolution
brought about by the internet is busting these outmoded
relationships wide open.
With this in mind, it is not surprising to hear that some of the
finest entrepreneurs have gone elsewhere to build their dreams.
The UK needs to foster the best entrepreneurs and ensure that
our greatest talent does not go overseas.
Developing the
Future report >>
Invitation to innovate >>
Unsung heroes of the IT industry >>
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