5 Reasons Why The Startup World Is Awesome
Nowadays, every time I scroll through my Facebook news feed, it’s like a sea of startups drawing me in. Links to their websites, videos, campaigns, feedback forms, all waiting for my one click to pull me into their magical universe where everything is possible, everything is exciting, and everyone believes in making this world a better place, in their own special way. I love it. And I say, let’s do it. Let’s do more and more of startups.
To anyone who thinks otherwise, I’d ask a few simple questions: isn’t it great that so many people are taking chances? Isn’t it absolutely stirring how many people are chasing their dreams and desires by stepping out of comfort zones and complacencies? Isn’t it astonishing how different the work life and work choices look now for the young work force of the country, versus how it looked five years ago? Does it not blow your mind?
“Believe in the potential of all people,” said Zubin Sharma, 25, when he shared his life lesson with us. Zubin is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in Political Economy, and a social entrepreneur running two startups, Seekho and Project Potential. Both his startups aim to bring together the existing strengths of villages in India, to help increase their collective wellbeing. What a novel idea. And there are many, many more incredible ideas that must be turned into startups, because the startup world is awesome. Here’s why:
The courage to do it
I see hope in the world when I see young minds willing to risk it all for an idea. I love that freshers out of colleges are giving up campus placements, that people are quitting their jobs, and people with impressive degrees and years of work experience behind them are going all in to, at least once in their life, give something they believe in a shot. There is struggle involved but they want to experience it as much as they want to taste success. Sitting by a beach (hopefully) at 40 and wondering how it all could’ve been different if only you’d taken the chance would be too little too late. Find the courage to turn your idea into something bigger. You have it in you to do it.
Collaborations are good stuff
We are all talented, each one of us. And what collaborations do is use everyone’s talent and core competency to make something bigger and better. And why not? It’s so much more inspiring, exciting, and fulfilling to co-create with people good at their specific job. I see entrepreneurs not settling for anything less than what they think they deserve, and in doing so, getting on board people who could help them. Entrepreneurs are collaborating with other creative geniuses and not trying to invent the next big thing in solitary confinement. Collaboration facilitates brewing of new ideas, and building of network. It means good, solid work. It means ego clashes but also ego checks. It means dinner and drinks with the team. It means striving together, growing together, creating together, and prospering together. It’s a I-help-you-and-you-help-me world, and oh what a sweet world that is.
Social consciousness above everything
Startups today are not just in it for the dough; they want to improve and enhance not only their lives but also lives of those around them. The good of the community seems to be taking lead in developing the idea/product/service. The breed of entrepreneurs now is looking at problems, and finding lasting, creative, effective, economical solutions to them. From ordering food online to hiring a cab, to finding fitness enthusiasts and specialists in common neighbourhood, every day is bringing to the forefront a new tool, which engages the audience and promises to serve better. But it all starts with the intention to be socially conscious. And intention does bring change; in fact, it is the only thing that ever has.
Cheerleaders everywhere
Friends are sharing posts after posts to get their friends noticed. Wow! No rivalries, no in-return expectations (okay, a few in-return expectations), just a lot of pure encouragement and cheerleading. I like this. I like how we are ready to become publicity posters, loudspeakers, feedback forms, campaign drivers and brand ambassadors of what we believe is good. And if it is someone we know personally, even better. Today, there is support, honest opinions, and love flowing over emails, calls, statuses, tweets and Instagram posts to help the other person reach his/her highest potential. It’s a good time to start a startup.
Guidance like never before
There are magazines, websites, blogs, podcasts, and forums to help any entrepreneur today looking for guidance. What mistakes to avoid and how, who to approach for funding, how to manage your finances in a startup, who to hire, how to show your work; it’s all there. All that and more, in the spirit of helping the brave hearts who are courageous enough to follow their dreams and believe in their ideas, and not merely follow the blueprint, which society laid out for them. The wealth and vastness of guidance and mentoring available nowadays for startups is incomparable. Make use of it. Let it push you further, in the right direction.
There are risks in starting up, but there are also rewards. Not every startup is going to make it, but some will, and some other will even make it big. The most fulfilling part of it will always remain the fact that you tried. Most people don’t. And it’s what makes entrepreneurs great, and distinguished, for me.
This generation embodies hope. Their faith and will to serve will surpass the needs and demands of generations to come and that, I think, will be the real gift of the startup world to all of us. All I ask of the nay-sayers, the eyebrow raisers and the skeptics is to believe in the potential of all people, at least once.
So, whose potential will you believe in today?
