I have always believed that the sense of entrepreneurship that is embodied in the young is what will find the solutions to the constant new challenges that face the world we live in.
Throughout my work with young people, I have seen how the creative minds, coupled with the enthusiasm and drive of young people have generated ideas that have made real differences to people’s lives.
Often these ideas are seen by outsiders and conventional thinkers as a drop in the ocean. But all to often the big ideas of governments and the private sector make far less progress. Too often the grand ideas are fraught with too many challenges, too many vested interests and lack a real focus on a problem.
In contract, the ideas from young entrepreneurs, despite their size, is inevitably born out of a need to solve a real problem. It can be implemented quickly. Most importantly, it does reach the point of solving a need, even if the advancement is only incremental rather than total.
So why the title of this blog? I. needed to write this blog to remind me of the good that comes from the creativity of entrepreneurs in a week when I have seen so much ability wasted.
It started when I read that Belgium had banned round goldfish bowls because goldfish find the shape stressful. My first thought was who even thought of researching this. This was quickly followed by who spent their time researching this with so many other problems in the world? Moreover, how reliable was the research that led to this decision, and do we have lots more happy goldfish now in Belgium?
My second disappointment came when I saw that Lewis Hamilton was filming something for Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. For a few brief moments he sat on a plastic stool to rest. Immediately he rose from the stool, someone covered it with clingfilm to preserve any residue from his posterior prior to putting it up for sale on the internet for 100 times the value of the plastic stool!
Add into this, studies to prove Cell phones and driving don’t mix, high heels can hurt your feet, sword swallowing can be dangerous, and you should keep babies away from ledges, and you see why one can easily get cynical about the desire to publish research regardless of its use to mankind.
But a quick search on the web and keeping the faith became easy again. Out there are amazing young entrepreneurs. Not only are these young people focusing far more on sustainable solutions to real problems, but the days of the male only techie entrepreneur have also gone. Today the entrepreneurs are a true example of diversity, whether through ethnicity, gender, or academic leaning.
For the rest, they can go back to wondering what shape goldfish bowl the fish would be happiest in!